Blossoming Terror
by xXSaSuHiNaXx
Summary: "Don't you understand? You're never going back there! You can't! I can't! It's impossible! Just give up already, it's not going to happen. You're stuck here for the rest of your life, whether you like it or not." In which Hinata comes to a new world and must fight for her freedom. Warning: death, spoilers from Naruto, and confusing content. Author tends to write stupid things.
1. New Beginning

Edit: 9/29/14 - Made a few corrections here and there and changed the pov to third person as not many liked me writing it in first person.

Author's Note: I'm not entirely sure whether I should continue or just stop here, with chapter one. You could say that I'm testing the waters and seeing if I want to swim in it. I've got a lot of ideas for this, all in a jumbled mess in my brain which I'm storing for safekeeping until I've decided what to do next. If this first chapter is a success then I'll see.

So you know what that means. If you don't know, then that's a little sad. No offence.

Disclaimer: I'm not sure why I'm doing this because I haven't done it for my other stories and I think it's pretty obvious that I don't own anything, but here goes. Shingeki no Kyojin/Attack on Titan is property of Hajime Isayama and Naruto/Naruto Shippuden is property of Masashi Kishimoto. I do not own the characters, setting, etc. that I may or may not use and are property of their respective owners. However, I do own the OCs that I may or may not add to the story.

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><p>It all happened so quickly.<p>

The mission Hinata was given was an S rank. Of course she knew that there were going to be casualties, there always was. From simple B rank missions to S rank, it was just unavoidable when fighting. Her opponents were strong, almost as strong as herself. She was to beat all of them, all fifteen Rogues and then all the other weaker ones that were there. Much more than anyone had anticipated there to be. Of course, she wouldn't be doing it alone. Sasuke was with her, as well as two other ANBU members.

With him it made it a lot easier, and the two other ANBU members were a great help too. Hinata only sustained a few injuries, the most serious one a rather nasty cut on her thigh and her shoulder as well, but the rest were minor cuts and bruises.

They were winning, with only one casualty so far. The Rogues were reduced rapidly and a lot of the weaker ones even ran away, only to be cut down by Sasuke. If not for the moment she would have smiled in relief, but the blood on her hands and the smell of burned or dead flesh stopped her. They were going to make it, it would only be a matter of time before they were all defeated and we could go home. Sasuke would punch the doofus (A.K.A Naruto) in the head for not sending reinforcements in time and potentially killing them all, she would lightly scold Sasuke for doing that to the Hokage, and the two of them would be sent to the hospital where they'd get healed.

But fate seemed to have a different story.

There were still many Rogues left, most only Chunin ranked. One of the stronger ones found an opening in Sasuke's defenses and charged at him with a kunai in hand. Sasuke didn't notice until the Rogue was almost there. Hinata worried that he'd be hit and so did the only thing she could think of at that moment.

...she took the hit for him.

It hit her chest, tearing through her flak jacket and navy shirt and breaking through her skin and bone, lodging itself into her heart. Blood gushed from the wound, splashing onto her killer's face and hands, and she felt the kunai turn, making her cry out once more. Before she knew it everything went dark. Her heart was quick to stop beating and with a final breath she lost the will to fight and succumbed to the darkness. The last thing Hinata heard was the sound of her name being yelled and a thousand birds chirping in rage.

And she was gone.

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><p>A groan of annoyance escaped through her gritted teeth. Being awoke to sticks poking her at different parts of her body was not pleasant. She swore, if they didn't stop soon she'll break all of those sticks. She didn't even have her eyes open but she can easily tell the object of irritation was of wood from how it felt on the exposed parts of her body.<p>

Wait, since when did she start thinking like Sasuke?

Wait...

Oh god, Sasuke!

With a start Hinata shot to a sitting position, her eyes snapping open and looking like they'd pop any minute now. With a hiss she realized that that was probably not the best thing to do. It felt as if a thousand bees were swarming in her brain, buzzing loudly with their stingers poking her brain harshly. Why was her head hurting so much? She remember being injured but then it's her body which should be aching. The only wound she had on her head was a small scratch on her chin and that's it.

Had she hit her head sometime during the time she blacked out?

"I um... Miss, are you... are you okay?"

Another poke of a stick.

Hinata hissed once more, the stick hitting a wound at her thigh she had forgotten about. With that came the burning of the other wounds. She opened her eyes and was surprised to see three kids looking fearful at her, the tallest of the three looking no older than twelve and the youngest apparently a set of twins if her eyes weren't deceiving her. The tallest, a boy with shoulder-length black messy hair and the strangest set of green eyes held a long stick in his hand, the tip still in contact with her injured thigh.

The blunette looked down at her chest, patting it where she had been stabbed through right before she blacked out. To her astonishment, there was nothing. No wound. Only a little patch of blood, but no evident that she had been hurt. A genjutsu maybe? she wondered.

Looking around, Hinata couldn't find any of the Rogues they were battling, not even Sasuke and that other ANBU. Actually, she couldn't recognize the place she was in at all. A few dozen tall green trees littered the place and, if Hinata looked far enough, she could make out what looked like a small worn down hut on the verge of collapsing. Where was she? Where was Sasuke and those others?

Another painful poke to her injured leg.

The blunette turned back to the children and opened her mouth to politely ask him to remove the stick, but found her voice raw and the words unrecognizable. Just how long was she out? She couldn't even give a squeak without it feeling like she had a blender turned on in her throat, shredding it to pieces.

"Big brother? She doesn't look well. Maybe," one of the set of twins, a girl with the same colored eyes as her apparent big brother and her dark brown hair in a mess of tangles, started but looked unable to continue.

Actually, now that she really looked at them, they all looked disheveled. Hair in a bundle of tangles, clothes that looked more like rags torn every which way, feet left exposed to the harsh elements, and dirt littering almost every part of their bodies as if they hadn't taken a bath in weeks. From their appearance, Hinata knew that the last thought of hers was true.

"Ssh Mary, stay behind me," the older brother whispered to her.

"But-" she tried to protest, but he quickly stopped her by gently pushing her behind him.

The other twin, another girl who looked a lot like the first twin but with different colored clothes, whimpered lowly and joined her sister behind her brother's back.

"Who are you?" the boy demanded, puffing out his chest and trying to look that much more menacing. The stick in his hand had been retracted back to his side, which Hinata was grateful for.

"I'll ask you only once more. Who are you? And while you're at it, what are you doing here? People like you don't come here." Now the boy held the stick closer to his chest, grasped tightly - almost too tightly - within his dirty hands. He looked ready to pounce on her if she didn't do as he said.

Hinata sighed; if Sasuke were here he would have scared them half to death by threatening them. He always did say she have a heart bigger than she should. But she couldn't leave these three be, alone here, wherever here was, to fend for themselves. She had dealt with scared children before, actually quite a few times (Sasuke wasn't much of a people person, especially when it came to kids), so she knew how to go about this.

It'd also be nice to know where she was exactly and what had happened after she'd blacked out.

Raising her arms, slowly, up above my head, she tried to look as nonthreatening as she could. Hinata ignored the ache from her wounds, only wincing once, and put on a expression of one who wasn't here to harm. The boy looked a little confused and Hinata didn't move from her spot even the slightest, allowing him to decide what to do next.

"A... ahg..." Hinata tried to speak, only to cough harshly and cover one hand over her mouth and the other her throat.

A thud sounded beside her and before she knew it a small hand was circling lightly her back.

"Mary, what are you doing?!"

Ah, so that was who it was. Hinata calmed her coughs and looked up at the girl, who looked more concerned now than afraid. Her green eyes shown with unhidden worry, and Hinata was impressed with her courage to approach a stranger. Or maybe that was because she was still just a little girl and didn't know any better? Either way, she could only think of her as nothing but kind.

"Big brother, stop! She's hurt, we can't leave her out here. Please let's take her back?" at the words the girl even put on an impressive puppy dog face.

Despite herself she couldn't help but feel amused. Her big brother tried hard not to succumb to her little sibling, and he was doing good so far. But to make matters worse for him, the other twin decided to join her sister, and the two were relentless with their begging.

Reminds me of Akemi-chan and how she always uses the puppy dog eyes to get Kiba-kun and the others to do what she wants, she thought.

Deciding to see if she could help the girls (she really needed to treat her wounds now if she didn't want them to get infected, plus she had to find out where she was and of the others), she poked lightly onto Mary's twin's arm to get their attention. The girl jumped, startled, and all three swiftly turned to look at Hinata. The boy looked ready to pounce once more while the little girl scurried to her brother. Mary stayed put, looking a little scared but otherwise okay.

The blunette dug her finger into the ground to try and spell out some words to them, and she was lucky that it was just soft dirt under her with only a small amount of patches of grass here and there. She wasn't going to risk using her voice. The memory of what happened when she first tried to talk made her mentally wince.

'Hello... my... name... is... Hyuga... Hinata... You...?' Slowly, she spelled the words out on the ground. Once she was finished, she leaned back and allowed them to see.

Mary immediately came closer to her side and tilted her head so that she could better see the writing. The other two were more hesitant, but they eventually came as well.

"Big brother, what does this say?" Mary questioned.

Both girls looked up at him questioningly.

He scrutinized the writing, his face hard with concentration as he traced the words with his gaze. After a moment he shrugged, losing the look and replacing it with a more nonchalant one. "Don't know. Can't read, but I think she's saying to trust her," he said.

He turned suddenly to me and crossed his arms, tilting his head to the side. "Just who are you? I've never seen writing like that before. I mean, I haven't seen much writing but yours looks different from what little I've seen," he said.

Different from what he's seen? Hinata thought curiously.

"Really big brother? Now that I look at it, it looks more like drawings. Are you sure she wasn't just drawing? You were drawing, weren't you?" the first two questions were directed to her brother, but Mary regarded Hinata at the last.

At her side her twin sister nodded in agreement but didn't actually voice her thoughts. Hmm, she was either shy or just didn't talk much.

Hinata shook her head, smiling a little at her question. She knew that pointing was rude but she couldn't help it. She didn't want to risk tearing her throat by talking so she did the only thing she could to ask them. With a tilt of her head, Hinata wrote down on the ground Mary's name, then pointed at her again. Then, she pointed at the other twin and tilted her head.

They were confused at first, but the other twin was able to guess what she was asking. "I-I'm Nina," she said with a shy smile.

"Nina?" asked the boy, confused.

"Oh, I get it!" Mary exclaimed suddenly, followed by giggling. "This is Tom, our big brother!" She pointed at herself and the three as she said, "Mary, Nina, Tom!"

It was now that the boy, Tom, realized what Hinata was asking. "Oh, so that's it! You were asking for our names. You could have just said so, you know."

"But big brother, I don't think she can talk. She talked once, but then she coughed and coughed and coughed," Mary repeated the coughs, as if to better help her brother remember.

It was cute.

Tom flushed in embarrassment and crossed his arms, huffing. "Whatever. Anyway, now that that's cleared up, guess that means that you won't be telling us your name anytime soon, eh?" He suddenly raised his hand and pointed to the sky, a huge grin on his face, "Alright, I've decided. We'll give you a name!"

Hinata blinked a few times, unsure of how to react.

"But is it alright to give someone a name who has a name?" Mary questioned.

"We don't even know if she does have a name," Tom pointed out. "It's alright. We have to call her something, right? Unless you're fine with calling her 'she' or 'her' or 'that lady' or something."

A look of disgust came upon Mary and she spat out as if she had eaten something rotten or poisonous. "Ew, no way. That's ugly, we have to give her a nice name to call her!" she yelled in determination. "Right Nina?" the question was directed to the other twin, who nodded slowly but looked unsure.

"Alright, so it's decided. We'll name you! How about," he paused to think, "Danny?"

"Eww," Mary let out, "No, we can't name her that."

"Why not?"

"Because that's a boy's name! And it's not cute at all!" she stated.

"Annie?"

"No way."

"Mindy?"

"Better, but then she'll have the same name as Mindy! We can't have that."

"Then what do you suggest?" questioned Tom.

Mary's expression twisted into a look of wonderment as she thought. "Umm, Mimi?"

"No, we can't have that. Mimi is Mimi, and we can't name someone else that too because it's bad."

"H-how about Lily?"

The attention swiftly turned to Nina, who flushed and ducked her head in embarrassment.

Suddenly Mary beamed. "That's perfect! She'll be Lily!" she decided.

"Hey wait," Tom quickly stopped her from doing a happy dance, "we have to ask her first if she likes it. We can't just give her a name without seeing if she wants it."

The three turned to look at her expectantly.

Hinata slowly nodded, a little puzzled as to how she should react. How does one react when they're given a new name?

She didn't know it yet, but at this moment her life would change. That she would be seeing a lot of these kids from here on out and that nothing will be the same for her again. She didn't know, but she'd come to that realization in time.


	2. Tom and the Twins

**Edit:** 9/29/14 - Made a few corrections here and there and changed the pov to third person as not many liked me writing it in first person.

**Author's Note:** I know I failed to mention this last chapter, but Hinata will be rather OOC. Her current age in this fic is twenty-four. That's right, twenty-four. Not fifteen, not sixteen, not even seventeen like her current age in the 4GSW. She's older and wiser, so don't expect her to be that shy and stuttering self that she was when Shippuden first came out. Of course, she'll still retain a lot of her traits, but you'll notice that some will be gone.

Since she's twenty-four, this is obviously post-war. As for the timeline in Shingeki no Kyojin, it's a little before Wall Maria is broken through.

Also, I've been wondering this since the reviews I got last chapter. Would you guys prefer I write this story in third person?

I'm sure that those of you who've read my other stories know that I usually write in third person. If first person bothers you guys, I'll change it to third person. I did this because I thought it'd help me get better in first person writing should I need to later on. Just say the word and I'll change it.

**Disclaimer:** I'm not sure why I'm doing this because I haven't done it for my other stories and I think it's pretty obvious that I don't own anything, but here goes. Shingeki no Kyojin/Attack on Titan is property of Hajime Isayama and Naruto/Naruto Shippuden is property of Masashi Kishimoto. I do not own the characters, setting, etc. that I may or may not use and are property of their respective owners. However, I do own the OCs that I may or may not add to the story.

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><p>Three weeks had gone by since Hinata first came to this place. When she could, she'd go out as often as possible to try and find Sasuke and the others. With the help of Tom and the twins, she looked everywhere she could, but unfortunately she still couldn't find anyone. Not even a clue as to where Konoha was or where she was either.<p>

Hinata had once asked the kids if they knew where we were. Their reply was, _"We're within Wall Rose, not too far from the village of Dauper."_

She didn't understand what that meant. She's never heard of the Dauper Village or of Wall Rose, and she wondered where exactly this place was in the world. It couldn't be anywhere near Konoha or else she'd have heard of it.

Where was she?

The blunette really hoped that she wasn't too far away from home. How could she be, anyway? She was close to the border of the Tsuchi no Kuni where the Rogues hideout was located. That's not too far off from where Hi no Kuni was. As she's never heard of this place, it's most likely somewhere off the map, so the other side of the world maybe? She don't think she was knocked out for as long as it would take someone to carry her here, as her wounds were still fresh when she awoke.

How exactly had she gotten here?

Hinata resolved to find all the answer to her questions. She still couldn't ask the kids a lot of questions, so it was difficult for her to get any clues. However, the one question she did ask them the answer was puzzling.

_"Konohagakure? What's that? I've never heard of it."_

She didn't understand. How could they have not heard of it? Konohagakure was a village located in one of the Five Great Shinobi Countries, everyone knew of it. This was all so confusing.

But if what she got from the kids told her anything, it's that this will be a lot harder than she had originally thought.

No matter, she wasn't going to give up. Hinata was going to find her friends and she was going to return back to Konoha. She would see everyone, she would make sure of it.

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><p>For what felt like the hundredths time that day Hinata sighed. Her Byakugan was activated and she'd taken another sweep of the place. Still, she couldn't find much. Not too far from her was a town but she couldn't see anyone she recognized.<p>

What made this worse was that she couldn't extend her sight to as far as usual.

Hinata was able to see thirteen and some kilometers around her but now? Now she could only see around three. She hypothesized that this was due to her hitting her head or something right before she blacked out from that attack the Rogue had inflicted upon her. Her chakra reserves were lower than usual as well, which even after all this time wasn't getting much better.

It didn't make sense, but unfortunately that's all she could go by.

Hinata has, though, heard once somewhere that at times where a person was seriously injured that their bodies would focus chakra to the wounds to heal itself. It was a sort of automatic response to the body dying out.

Maybe that was why she didn't have my usual amount of chakra and she couldn't activate my Byakugan to its full capacity?

Her wounds still were healing, especially the nasty cut she had gotten on my thigh. All her small cuts had already healed up but the two major ones she'd gotten weren't doing as well. But that was probably because she'd somehow find a way to tear open the wounds again just as they were almost closed up. Since the kids didn't have much, especially when it came to food and medicine, she didn't have anything to help with the healing process.

Well, except for whatever medical jutsus she could remember. But that wasn't much, as she wasn't very efficient in it.

Though Hinata had found some helpful medicinal herbs while out searching with Tom a while back, but they weren't so much for healing wounds as they were for fighting infections. That she was happy about, as keeping her wounds from getting infected she admit was a little difficult when the placed she now resided in wasn't the cleanest and the only thing she had to cover my wounds was her outer shirt.

It didn't help her either that she tried whatever she could to help the kids, even helping with the chores or lifting heavy objects. They were helping her by allowing her a place to stay and some food and water, which she knew they didn't have much of. She had to thank them in some way.

Hinata didn't want to be a burden to anyone again and she'd do whatever to make sure she wasn't.

On a brighter note, the kids and her were becoming closer. Not too long ago Tom had opened up to her about why they lived alone and in the broken down house.

They lost their parents sometime back when Mary and Nina were no more than four years old. Their two dogs, Mimi and Mindy had helped the kids run away and hide, but lost their lives in the process.

After that Tom was forced to look after his two sisters all by himself. He had come back to the house once he was sure that the robbers were gone, as he didn't know anywhere else to go, and buried his dead family members. From there on he trained himself to fight and hunt and took care of his sisters as best he could.

Hearing their story, Hinata couldn't help but feel pity for them. To lose so much at such a young age and be forced to fend for themselves in this harsh world? It must've been hard for them, especially Tom.

Tom however, didn't like it. He had harshly told her that if she had even an ounce of pity for them, that he'd beat it out of her.

Still, she couldn't help but feel pity, though she made sure to hide from them because she didn't want to upset any of the three, especially Tom.

Nina and Mary had told her stories of their life as well, though all of them were of after the incident. Like when Tom had accidentally set his shirt on fire when he was trying to make a fire to cook with. Then another time when he had hit himself in the head with a log he was using to practice fighting with. The twins had to patch him up and he was really embarrassed about it.

The blunette got along splendidly with the twins and in the short time that they've been together, the two already thought of her as family. They didn't call her big sister or anything like that, but they told her that they considered her as part of their family.

Hinata couldn't express how happy she was hearing that. She honestly loved the two girls and considered them part of her family as well.

"Are you doing that freaky thing with your eyes again?"

Hinata looked behind her to find Tom walking to stand next to her. She smiled and nodded to him.

"I have no idea how you do that and I don't want to find out. No offense, but that's creepy how you look," he muttered in disgust, not bothering to hide it. "Anyway, it's time for lunch. You can do... whatever it is that you were doing after that."

She nodded and the two of them headed back to the house. It didn't take long for them to get there and Tom moved away from her side to go fill their bowls.

"Hinata! Hinata!" Mary called out, tugging at Hinata's hand.

"Hmm?" she asked, looking down at her.

She pulled Hinata over to where she had been sitting just a few moments ago, throwing the blunette off balance for the slightest second and forcing her to gain it back. Hinata smiled as the girl dragged her.

"Look, look. I made a flower crown!" she yelled in excitement.

The girl shoved the crown she'd made in Hinata's face for her to see. Hinata had found that Mary was very good with her hands and so, remembering the lessons she'd gotten from Ino and her mother, Hinata taught her how to make flower crowns and other types of things with plants. Like for instance, small baskets, which Mary'd like to decorate with tons of flowers.

To say Hinata was impressed at how fast she's learned and how well she made them was an understatement. If Ino was here to see her, the blonde would be proud.

"Wow, puretty," Hinata complimented, giving her a small grin as the blunette cupped the crown in her hands

"That one's for you! I also made one for me and Nina and Tom, too!" she exclaimed.

Mary picked up three other crowns from the floor and displayed it in front of Hinta. She could see that all of them were pretty much the same as the one she held, except with some minor differences. "Put it on, put it on, put it on," Mary demanded anxiously.

One hand held the three crowns while the other pushed her hands up to her head to get her to put it atop her head.

Hinata chuckled at her enthusiasm and did as she told. Putting it on her head, she gave a small twirl to Mary's amusement. She giggled and cheered at Hinata's performance, and Hinata heard clapping behind her, courtesy of Nina who had just stepped inside the house.

"You look so cute in it!" Mary said with a large grin.

That's when she spotted her twin and bounced to her almost giddily. Picking up another crown from her hand, she held it out to her sister for her to take. "Nina, Nina! Put it on, put it on! You have to have one on too! I'll put mine on too," she said.

The two laughed and cheered upon putting on the crowns, even doing a little dance.

Hinata's come to notice that once Nina is familiar with someone, that she's not as shy as she first appears. She's much like her twin, only not as loud. With how the two could guess the other's thoughts and speak in unison, Hinata had to wonder if the two had telepathic abilities or if it was just a twin thing.

Tom also seemed to agree with her. At times he would quietly complain to himself how freaky it was that the girls could finish each other's sentences and just burst out laughing at random times of the day.

"Alright, alright," Tom quickly stopped the two from their cheering and dancing, "lunch time, so play after."

Hinata sat at the table, watching with amusement as the two pouted cutely at their fun being ended. But they grinned soon after at the smell of food and bounced over to her. Each sat at their usual seats, on either side of her. Hinata saw Tom frown, but he didn't say anything to that.

She was suddenly reminded of back when the Konoha 12 were still kids.

"Food, food, food!" the two girls chanted.

And so they ate our small meal.

* * *

><p>"I... love... you..." Nina uttered the words as she wrote it down on the dirt ground.<p>

Hinata clapped loudly upon seeing the girl spell it right.

One of the things she's noticed about the twins is that, while one loves anything that's cute and girly, the other preferred the dirt and the plants. While Mary had a knack for creating things with her hands, Nina was really good at memorization and enjoyed to write all the things she's learned from me as well as guess any words that Hinata write down on the ground.

The girl grinned up at her, her cheeks reddening a little at hearing her clapping.

Something else Hinata's noticed is that she's more self-conscious of herself than Mary and tended to blush when complimented.

"Very goo!" Hinata told her, stroking her hair gently.

She giggled and jumped into the blunette's arms, encircling her own around her waist and burying her face in her chest, either to hide her flushed cheeks or just because she enjoyed cuddling, Hinata wasn't sure.

That was one more thing that she noticed about her. She was a big cuddler, though so was Mary. They both loved to give her random hugs throughout the day, which Hinata didn't mind at all.

They hugged for a moment before the girl pulled back and wrote something else in the dirt. _"Thank you."_

Hinata grinned and wrote,_ "You're welcome."_

The blunette didn't even have to say it out loud. She was a quick learner and had already learned how to read and write the words. She was so proud of her.

* * *

><p>"Tomu-kun?"<p>

"Tom," he corrected her.

"To...mu," Hinata tried again, only to get a sigh from him in defeat.

"Never mind, call me whatever," he said after a moment, waving a hand dismissively. Turning to her, he crossed his arms and asked, "what do you want?"

"Why you... her... herri..."

"Help."

Hinata nodded, not bothered that he had interrupted her. She realized a while ago that he was impatient and would interrupt her if he couldn't wait any longer for her to finish her sentences. "...me?" she questioned, deciding not to try pronouncing the word.

"Hmm?"

"Why you-"

"No, I got it. But what do you mean by that?"

"Why herr..." she paused, "ashisuto me in fore...fore-"

"Forest," he finished for her. He frowned thoughtfully, taking a moment to think it over. "Well, that's easy. Even if you were a bad guy, there's nothing you could have done to hurt us. Not with your state," he explained with a wave of his hand.

Hinata blinked a few times, skeptical of his answer.

"What? Don't look at me that way. You know it's true. Besides, even if you weren't injured, you don't look like you're strong enough to hurt us." As an after thought, he said, "No offense."

"You don't look strong. You sure you're a shinobi?" the words echoed in Hinata's mind, reminding her of the many times she's been questioned of her status as kunoichi. It brought a small bitter feeling, but not anything that she couldn't squish. The blunette was used to being underestimated and had learned to live with others judging her. It didn't bother her as much as it used to. Actually, after the Fourth Shinobi World War, she'd barely even heard it. She's become somewhat infamous after all these years.

Of course, nowhere near Sasuke and Naruto, or even some of the other Konoha 12, but she was still known. It wasn't much, but she was happy about the accomplishment.

"Also," he paused, a tint of pink painting his cheeks. After a moment he shook his head, "Never mind."

"I shi-"

"See."

"-sankyuu," she finally said with a small smile.

"Thank you," he once more corrected. He shrugged and turned on his heels, towards the house. "We should head back now. Nina and Mary are gonna worry."

With a nod, she stood and followed after him.


	3. A Visit to Town

**Disclaimer: **I'm not sure why I'm doing this because I haven't done it for my other stories and I think it's pretty obvious that I don't own anything, but here goes. Shingeki no Kyojin/Attack on Titan is property of Hajime Isayama and Naruto/Naruto Shippuden is property of Masashi Kishimoto. I do not own the characters, setting, etc. that I may or may not use and are property of their respective owners. However, I do own the OCs that I may or may not add to the story.

* * *

><p>"We're going out to town."<p>

"Huh?"

"Eh?"

"I said we're going out to town and that's final," Tom said gruffly.

Hinata blinked a few times in shock. She couldn't believe it, did he actually say what she thought he said?

"Don't give me that look, you heard me," Tom told her, giving her a small glare.

"But why are we going to town, big brother?" Mary questioned, confused as well.

From Hinata's short stay with the kids she had learned that they rarely went to town, if ever. She had asked them once why this was, and her reply was, "The town is too dangerous."

The twins even seemed to agree with Tom. At the subject of the town, they'd get this fearful and almost disgusted expression on their faces. None of them liked the town and Hinata had to wonder what was so bad about it. She would have prodded further, but she got the feeling that it would upset the kids. So she never asked, deciding that if they wanted her to know, they'd tell her.

"Because we're going to get some supplies," answered Tom.

"Supplies?" Nina repeated.

Mary squirmed in her spot on the floor, her mouth puckered out as if she was sucking on something sour. "I don't wanna, I don't wanna, I don't wanna!" she yelled, furiously waving her arms around.

"We're gonna," Tom said with finality, leaving no room for protests.

The two girls pouted at that. Mary crossed her arms and harrumphed at her brother, sharply turning away from him to show of her dismay. Nina, however, hugged her knees to her chest and sulked.

Tom sighed at their behavior. Turning to Hinata, he regarded her with a steady gaze, "Since you don't know much about this place, you're gonna do as I say, whatever it is. Got it?"

Hinata nodded her head, not finding any reason to protest.

He suddenly smirked, and Hinata realized that she shouldn't have agreed so quickly. "First thing we've got to do before we go is get you some better clothes."

"Eh?" she questioned, wrapping her arms over her chest as an uneasy feeling rose inside her.

"We have to get you to blend in. If we all wear worn down clothes and you're in those strange clothes of yours, don't you think it'll look weird?"

Hinata nodded hesitantly.

His smirk widened and he turned to the twins. "Alright, then it's decided. Mary, Nina, come help me look for some good clothes for Hinata to wear. I think we still have some of Mama's old clothes somewhere around here," he said.

Mary brightened at the thought of dressing up Hinata and she raised her hand into the air, shouting her joy. Nina copied her sister a second later, deciding this would be fun as well.

"Let's go!"

And with that as the signal, the kids scattered out, rummaging through anything and all they thought the clothes would be.

Hinata didn't have a good feeling about this.

* * *

><p>"D-do I have to w...wear this?" Hinata asked uncomfortably.<p>

The blunette stood in front of the three kids, who each had varying smiles on their faces, Tom's being the most scariest. She gripped one elbow with a hand self-consciously, looking nervously between each child. She should have known not to agree so easily, she was so embarrassed she could die.

Hinata's new clothes consisted of white and slightly worn down blouse with the top three buttons unbuttoned, revealing a generous portion of her cleavage and the dark strap shirt she wore underneath. The short sleeves of her blouse only reached halfway to her elbows and the long flowing skirt she wore was a deep shade of red. On her feet she had a pair of brown shoes which she wore with socks.

Though she wasn't the only one that was dressed up. Tom and the twins decided to wear more appropriate clothes for the occasion. Tom had some brown baggy pants on with a white blouse and a tan vest, while Mary wore a pink dress and Nina a blue one.

"Don't worry Hinata, you look great!" Tom assured her, giving her a wide grin.

The two girls nodded in agreement.

"You look really pretty Hinata," Mary said.

Hinata sighed dejectedly, her cheeks so hot she wouldn't be surprised if she could roast an egg on them.

Tom suddenly clapped his hands, getting the attention back on them. "Alright, now that we're all dressed up, let's head out," he told them. "Hinata, once we get to town, I want you to be as close to us as possible. Actually, Nina and Mary, you'll hold her hands all the time we're there. Don't let go of her unless I tell you to."

The females looked confused.

"Huh?"

"Listen Hinata," he pointed sharply at her, making her jump, startled at his sudden action, "you're going to act blind." That earned him another shout of confusion, to which he ignored. "I don't know where you're from but here, the only people who have eyes like you are the blind. So you'll act blind, understood?"

"W-why?"

"Just do it."

The blunette sighed once more.

"Now, let's go!"

The two twins' expressions fell at that.

"Do we have to?" Mary whined.

"I don't wanna go to town, it's scary there," Nina backed her up.

Tom shook their worries away with a wave of his hand. "Don't worry, if anything happens I'll be here to protect you guys. Hinata also knows how to fight a little, so she can take care of herself. Besides, those pigs won't even touch us," he said this so confidently, Hinata had to wonder what he meant by that.

The two still didn't seem satisfied with his answer.

"Just trust me," he told them.

* * *

><p>Trust him, Tom had said. It'll be alright, he said. They wouldn't touch us, he said. Now Hinata knew what he meant by that.<p>

The blunette faked a soft giggle at the merchant's rather bad jokes, hiding her mouth politely behind her hand. Why had she agreed to this again? She felt so uncomfortable flirting with a man, especially since she already had a man (who was many many miles away from but that was besides the point!). She didn't know if she could keep up this act for much longer. The looks he sent her made her skin crawl in disgust.

_No Hinata, _she mentally shook her head, _this is for the kids. They need me to do this so that they can get food and whatever else Tom-kun had in mind. I have to do this!_

"My, what a charming young woman you are," the merchant continued, blind to her thoughts, "I haven't come across many who are as beautiful and polite as yourself."

Hinata inwardly shuddered at how his eyes strayed from her face, doing a quick sweep of her body, before landing back on her face. He took her hand in his and she refrained from pulling it back when he planted a kiss on her knuckles. "You know, I'm still quite the young man, yes I am. Only thirty-one, as a matter of fact. What do you say, wanna go out sometime?"

The blunette gave a laugh, this one more nervous than the last. "I-I don't-t know if I should. I s-still have my little... brother and two little sisters to take care of. I'd hate to leave them alone," she said slowly, taking extra care to pronounce each word correctly.

He laughed heartedly, patting her hand gently. "My, you really are a sweet young woman. Just my type. Don't worry about your siblings, I'm sure they can be left alone for a short while, while we're out."

"I... I don't know about-t that," Hinata said softly.

"Well if you're that worried, I can ask a friend of mine to look after them." He stroked her hand lovingly, leaning just a little closer as he sent her a suggestive look.

"Oh, but I wouldn't... wanna t-trouble you or anything..."

"Nonsense! It'll be no trouble at all! I know just the person and he absolutely loves children!"

_He's persistent, _she thought with dismay. It didn't look like she was going to be able to get out of this easily. _Maybe I could just say that I'm not interested in him?_

Sneaking a glance over her shoulder, she gulped at the look Tom sent him. _"Don't deny him," _his eyes seemed to say, as if reading her mind.

Once more she had to wonder why exactly she was doing this.

"Well if-f it's no trouble for you, I'd love to go out wi...th you sometime," finally she obliged. Inwardly crocodile tears were spilling from her eyes. _Forgive me Sasuke-kun..._

"Wonderful!" he said, "Then let's meet at four tomorrow here. You can bring your three siblings and I'll bring my friend to take care of them. I promise, we'll have a wonderful time." As if an afterthought, he said, "And you're siblings as well."

"Yes, sankyuu you very much. I'm honored th-that you think of me good enou...gh to date," she said with a small curtsy. She made to leave, but to her unfortunate luck, was stopped.

"Hold on a second. Here, let me give you some fruits to take back with you."

"Eh?" she let out in surprise and quickly made to reject, but once more he stopped her.

"Please, think of this as a thank for you for accepting my proposal. Please, take it with you," with that, he handed her a bag packed full with different kinds of fruit from his stand.

Hinata grabbed the back and thanked him. Turning, she made her way to Tom and the twins as quickly as she could without seeming rude to the merchant. Her cheeks were flushed a lovely shade of red by the time she made it to them and they all either snickered at her or just giggled. Again, why had she agreed to this?

"Nice work!" Tom said, grinning and holding up a thumb. "Just as I planned. Thanks to you we got a lot of fruit to last us a while."

The two twins bounced over to her and each gripped a part of her red skirt.

"See, I told you you looked pretty," Mary said with a grin.

"You got a date with someone and you didn't even have to try," Nina nodded in agreement.

The two giggled in what Hinata guessed was amusement.

"Now onto the next shop!" Tom yelled, pumping his hand into the air and he marched off.

Hinata sighed as she followed after him, the twins at her side cheering. "I'm not gonna have to date anyone else, am I?" she asked hesitantly, her cheeks once more heating at the thought. One man was enough, she didn't need another one.

Tom shrugged, "Maybe, maybe not. Depends if we're able to get the stuff without having you go out with anyone. I originally thought your boobs would be enough to get us stuff, but dates might be in order as well."

"M-m-m-my wh-wh-what?" she squeaked out, her face turning a lovely shade of red and she hugged the bag she held closer to her chest.

"Your boobs," he said this without any care, as if it was as normal to talk about as the weather. "You have big boobs and most men like that, right? So getting you to show them off would almost guarantee free stuff." He stopped suddenly, making the three stop as well, and turned to Hinata, holding his hands out to her. "By the way, give me the bag."

She cradled it closer to her chest, looking uneasy about the order. "Wh-why?"

"Because it's blocking the view of your boobs," he was blunt in his answer. "How are you supposed to attract attention if you're hiding them."

"B-b-b-b-but-"

"Besides, isn't your leg still healing?" he asked with a smirk. "You should know that you shouldn't put so much strain on a wound. The bag must be heavy, so I'll carry it for you."

"B-b-b-b-but-"

"And it's also rude to let the lady carry the bags. I'm your _brother, _I have to carry it. It's only polite of me," he continued.

"M-my leg is f-fine now! I-I can carry it. Besides, I'm older, so it's por...lite that I carry it for you," she quickly said, taking a step back.

"I told you I'll take it, damn it!"

"No, I'm fine carrying it-t!"

"Hinata, give it to me!"

"N-no!"

"I'll kick you in the leg if you don't give me the bag now!" he threatened.

* * *

><p>Once more Hinata was forced to flirt with the sellers. This time it was a clothing store. Tom had decided that they were growing out of their old clothes and needed new ones. He thought this would be the perfect time to get it. The salesman for this shop was rather young, looking to be in his late teens to early twenties with a handsome face, if Hinata had been any other woman, she might have swooned over him.<p>

And while she flirted with the man, the three kids raided the rack with the clothes, each pulling out anything they thought was nice. From the corner of their eyes they watched her interact with the man.

"You know big brother, when you said we were going to town, I thought we were going to Dauper village. Not all the way to Trost," Nina said from her spot beside Mary, a shirt held to herself as she examined it at the same time.

The other twin nodded, "Me too." She looked up from the pink dress she held in her hands to stare at her brother. "But why are you making Hinata flirt with everyone?"

"I'm not making her flirt with everyone, I'm just making her flirt with the people we'll be _buying _from," Tom corrected.

The twins exchanged a look.

"Why?"

He smirk darkly, letting out a low chuckle. "I've got a few reasons. One of the reasons is that we'll get free stuff."

"And the other reason?" Nina questioned.

"Because it's fun," was his simple reply.

The two girls looked uncertainly between themselves.

"Big brother," Mary spoke up, "why are you telling Hinata to act blind?"

"Hmm?" the boy blinked down at his sisters, "Oh, that's easy. You know how her eyes are almost white and have no pupils?"

They nodded.

"And you know how there's no one with eyes like hers except for those who are blind?"

Another nod.

"Well if she acted like she could see perfectly fine, people will think she's a freak. Because only the blind have eyes like hers and it'll be weird if she wasn't blind."

"Oh," a look of understanding took over the twins' features.

"_But," _he drawled, "she's a terrible actor. I'm surprised no one's realized that she's not blind. It's so obvious." _But then, it's lucky for us that everyone here is so stupid. It makes fooling them easier, _he thought.

After a little more searching, and leaving Hinata alone with the man to suffer, Tom walked over to her with the twins behind them, in the process interrupting their current conversation. Like with the last salesman, the man had allowed them to take the clothes free of charge, on the promise that Hinata'd stop by his shop more often (and a date as well). Thanking him, the three left for home.

* * *

><p><strong>QUESTION: <strong>Which do you guys prefer, first person or third person. I asked this last chapter in my Author's Notes, but it appears that no one read it :/ I don't mind doing either, as I'm more used to doing third person and first person would help me improve in it :)


	4. Birthday

**ANSWER: **Since no one asked for me to continue doing first person and I've only had people telling me to do third person, I'll stick with third person from now on.

Before we get on with the story, I'd just like to give a quick thanks to the people who reviewed last chapter. I'm so happy, I got 5 reviews! :D

**Disclaimer: **I'm not sure why I'm doing this because I haven't done it for my other stories and I think it's pretty obvious that I don't own anything, but here goes. Shingeki no Kyojin/Attack on Titan is property of Hajime Isayama and Naruto/Naruto Shippuden is property of Masashi Kishimoto. I do not own the characters, setting, etc. that I may or may not use and are property of their respective owners. However, I do own the OCs that I may or may not add to the story.

* * *

><p>Hinata pulled forward the vest that she wore, staring at the article of clothing with furrowed brows.<p>

"I couldn't find you anything more fitting. Your boobs are too big to fit into any of my Ma's shirts," Tom explained.

"I... understand. But-t I got... a question," she began hesitantly, looking up at the noirette.

"Shoot."

"Y-yester...day you made me wear your-r mother's blouse... and today you're tellin' me th-that I can't wear any of your mother's shirts because they too small... for me. Why?" she asked.

He stared at her as if she was stupid. "I thought I told you yesterday. You have big boobs, guys like big boobs, so you were showing off your big boobs."

She blushed darkly at his blunt response.

The boy continued, "I gave you one of Ma's shirts to make sure you couldn't cover up your breasts. The reason we went to the town yesterday was to get some free goods. That couldn't happen with you being all shy and modest."

"Th-then why gi...ve me more fittin' clothes?"

He shrugged. "You're going on a date, not trying to get every guys' attention. What, do you want to wear more revealing clothes?"

Hinata quickly shook her head.

"Alright," he suddenly clapped, "now that you're ready, you can head out. Remember, you need to be nice and charming to the guy. I don't really care about the clothing store owner, as we've already got clothes for ourselves. We need the food though, so be as attractive as you can."

"D-do I rea...lly have to do th-this?" she asked.

He sent her a look.

"A-alright... I-I'll go," she finally conceded, slumping in defeat.

"One more thing."

Hinata looked up at him.

"Work on your speech. You're getting better at pronouncing the words, but you're talking too slow and the stuttering's really annoying," he told her.

She sighed.

* * *

><p>Tom allowed a smirk to play at his lips as he waved Hinata off. She trudged through the forest with slumped shoulders and a cloud of dejection hung over her head. He knew she hated this, it was just so obvious. She wasn't too good at hiding her feelings; she practically wore her emotions on her sleeve. And as she disappeared in the dozens of trees, he enjoyed every second of her misery.<p>

Stupid girl, it was her fault this was happening to her. She hated this, yet she didn't do anything to stop it. Maybe small complaints, but no outright objections to his plan. It was rather pathetic in his opinion.

_"I don't want to do this,"_ was all she had to say and he would have let her go. But nooo, she decided to suck it up and bear it.

It was admirable, he'd admit. Being able to bear with something one disliked was rather hard to do. But in this instance, it was stupid. She let others boss her around too much. She really needed to learn how to say no to others or she'd just continue to get used. That was one of the traits he didn't like in her.

_Stupid girl, you can go suffer now, _he thought.

The boy turned on his heels and headed back to the house. It was about time for his training.

A bitter feeling rose up inside him, one that he didn't bother to hide. It'd been a long time since he'd thought this way and he hated it. He still wasn't sure whether he hated the girl or not. There were times the girl almost seemed to be a saint with her kind and helpful nature, and then there were times like these, where he felt like grabbing his trusty stick and hitting her over the head with.

_You shouldn't be so kind, idiot. If you don't get yourself killed early than I'll get the job done for you. Stupid bitch, _he growled within his mind.

"Big brother! Big brother!"

Tom was quick to wipe the scowl off his face at the sound of his sisters' voices. He looked to the side to see the twins running towards him, the usual grins in place. They slid to a stop beside him, creating a small cloud of dust at the action, and grabbed at his hands.

"Come on, come on. You have to see this," Mary told him gleefully, pulling at his arm.

Nina joined her, "Yeah, we wanna show you something."

"What is it?" he asked, allowing the two girls to pull him forward.

"You'll see, you'll see!" Mary shouted.

The twins pulled him to the side of the house, in the process ordering him to close his eyes. Of course, he obliged, a smile tugging at his lips. Once at their destination, they stopped and left his side. He waited patiently for them to give him the signal to open his eyes and was not disappointed when a few seconds later they shouted in unison,

"You can look now!"

He opened his eyes and was surprised at the sight that greeting him. The twins stood at either side of what looked like a homemade basket with tons of different flowers filling it to the brink.

"What is this?" The boy walked over to the basket and crouched to get a better look. The tips of his fingers brushed alongside the dark edge of the basket and he heard the twins giggle.

"We made a basket-"

"-to carry a lot of flowers in!" Mary finished for her twin.

"You two made this yourselves?" Tom questioned, shocked.

He knew that Hinata had been teaching them how to make stuff like this out of the surrounding plants and trees, she had even offered to teach him how to do so himself. He, of course, rejected, saying that it was too 'girly' for his tastes. But even if the girls have been making small baskets and whatever other stuff Hinata had the two do, had they really made this?

Tom's eyes narrowed as he lifted the basket up to inspect it closer, being mindful of the flowers. It wasn't the bestest of the best, he could see that it was a little rough around the edges and didn't look as secure as the other baskets he'd seen in town, but for two ten year olds, this was an amazing job.

"Actually," Nina began, blushing lightly.

"Hinata helped us with the basket," Mary told him.

"We worked on it together and Hinata didn't even have to help us much," the two said together, grinning up at him.

"So you did most of this?" He whistled, impressed at the handy work.

"Yup! We had a lot of trouble, but we got it done in the end," Mary confessed.

Tom gently set the basket down on the ground and beckoned for the two to step closer. Immediately they bounced to his side and he pressed a hand atop their heads, stroking their brown hair lovingly. "Good job," he praised.

The two laughed in joy at the praise and jumped at him, wrapping their arms around his back in an abrupt embrace.

"Although," he said suddenly, "you still need to work on making the basket _actually_ round. And it doesn't look as secure as it's supposed to be. I'm surprised that it hasn't fallen apart with all the weight it has to carry."

The two pouted at his words, giving a small moan in annoyance.

"Big brother, you're mean. You're not supposed to insult the work. You're supposed to just compliment us!" Mary whined.

Nina nodded in agreement. "I don't like it when you tease us like that."

Tom gave a hearty laugh and patted the top of their heads once more. He stood, in the process forcing the girls to let go of him, and turned back to the basket. "So, what's the occasion? Why so many flowers?"

"Well," the two stretched the word, clasping their hands behind their backs as they leaned forward.

"You know how today's the twenty-fourth...?" Mary began.

"We... we wanted to make you a present for your birthday," Nina finished slowly, her smile softening as she awaited her brother's next words.

It took a moment for Tom to process his sisters' words. Today was the twenty-fourth... It was the day of his birthday. How could he have forgotten? _It's the idiot's fault. She's been distracting me, _he decided.

After all, if she hadn't been here to take up so much of their time, he'd never have forgotten.

"Thanks for the gift. It's great," he told the twins after a moment.

The two hugged him once more, huge grins splitting their faces. They laughed into his chest and he allowed himself a laugh as well.

"By the way," Mary began, pulling back from her brother.

Nina did as well, and the two began looking around as if trying to find something, or rather _someone._

"Where's Hinata?" the two asked in unison.

"On her date," he replied calmly. Tom walked over to the basket with the tons of flowers and picked it up. Turning on his heels, he looked over his shoulder at the twins, "Come on, I'll go make us some lunch to celebrate."

"And Hinata's not gonna join us?" Mary sounded disappointed.

"I told you, she's on her date. She can celebrate with us when she returns," he told her.

The two didn't look too happy to hear that, but they didn't say anything to it. Tom walked back to the house and the two stepped in line with him. Soon he was onto cooking his meal while the two played with each other in the meantime.

* * *

><p>"So how was your date?"<p>

Hinata blushed brightly and looked down at the long blue skirt that she wore. She didn't even have to look up to see the Cheshire smirk that graced his lips. He was the evil cat that was playing with his prey, almost mockingly so. She was the unlucky mouse that fell into his trap.

Oh god, why had she done this again?

"I-i-it... was okay," she finally replied after a moment.

His smirk only deepened.

"Come inside and sit here by your _little_ _brother, _tell me everything that happened," he said, patting the spot beside him.

Nina and Mary were asleep in their rooms, so it was just the two of them in the room. This only made Hinata feel even more uncomfortable. However she obeyed and moved to the spot beside him, flopping down somewhat gracefully on the floor. Her face was still red and she hugged her knees to her chest as she stared down at the ground.

An awkward silence passed between the two, or Hinata at least thought it was awkward. Her mind replayed the images of the evening she spent with her date and she couldn't help but shudder in remembrance.

They stayed like that for a while until Hinata finally found her voice. "H-he tr...tried to ki-ki-kiss me," she stuttered out in a whisper.

"And?" He leaned in closer towards her, looking much like an excited academy girl looking for more gossip.

"...I hit him..."

"What?" Tom semi-yelled in fake shock. "Don't you know how rude it is to hit someone, Hinata? Especially the guy who'll be giving us our free food from now on? You bad, bad girl."

The girl shot him a glare. Or was that a glare?

"What's with the stare? I'm not the one that hit him," he said, still smirking.

"You knew th-this wou... would happen."

"I so did," he admitted with a laugh.

"You're mean."

"Maybe I am."

"..."

"So, _sister, _what happened after you hit the guy?" he inquired.

"I apor...logized," she answered.

"Honestly?" he sighed, shaking his head at her. "You're stupid."

"Eh?" she let out, her head shooting up as she stared at him in confusion.

"The guy was making a move on you and you slapped him. What makes it bad is that you apologized. Geez, what's with you? What, if I kiss you right now would you slap me and then apologize too? You don't like it, you tell him off. Not apologize for defending yourself," he told her.

"B-but you sa...said to get-t the guy to l-like me!"

"Yeah, I did. But that doesn't mean that you should let him harass you. Geez," he said with a roll of his eyes.

At that moment, it felt like a giant heavy rock had fallen atop her head.

"Well, since you two seem to be getting along just great. Continue dating him. Next time, let him kiss you, even," Tom ordered.

"E-eh?!" Hinata abruptly yelled, standing so fast that she surprised Tom at her sudden outburst. "I have Sasuke-kun! I no kissu anyone!"

"I'm not kissing anyone," he corrected. "And be quiet, Mary and Nina are sleeping."

Hinata shut her mouth and fell back to the floor, a blush consuming her cheeks in embarrassment at how she had lost her cool. _"Gomen."_

"So you're saying that you're not going to kiss anyone?" She nodded. "And I'm guessing that also means you're not going to let others touch you, uh... inappropriately?" Another nod. "Are you not going to date anyone, either?"

She hesitated for but a moment, but nodded in the end.

He smiled, "Looks like you do have some backbone after all. Alright, you can dump that fatso." He stood from his spot and dusted himself off. "You don't have to go on the date with the second guy either," he told her.

Hinata gaped at him, the surprise as clear as water in her face. "Eh?"

"I'm off to bed now. Goodnight."

He didn't wait for her reply, not that she would have given him one, and headed off to where his sisters were sleeping in the other room. On his way, he stopped at the doorway and looked over his shoulder, "Thanks for the birthday greetings. I appreciate it."

Hinata stared at his disappearing figure, still processing his words. So all this time she was worried that if she did something wrong to upset her date that it would leave the kids upset and possibly without much food, but in truth Tom didn't actually care? She went through all this trouble when she didn't actually have to? That Tom was probably just using her for his entertainment?

And wait, did he just say it was his...

Birthday?!

That was it, she couldn't take anymore. _What have I gotten myself into?_

* * *

><p><strong>Translation(s):<strong>

Gomen = I'm sorry


	5. Sick

**Author's Note: **All I've got to say is school. If I don't update for a while, then you know why. Also, I was a little disappointed that I only got 3 reviews last chapter, unlike the 5 the previous chapter.

But reviews are reviews and I'm happy to get atleast that many. So thanks :)

**Disclaimer: **I'm not sure why I'm doing this because I haven't done it for my other stories and I think it's pretty obvious that I don't own anything, but here goes. Shingeki no Kyojin/Attack on Titan is property of Hajime Isayama and Naruto/Naruto Shippuden is property of Masashi Kishimoto. I do not own the characters, setting, etc. that I may or may not use and are property of their respective owners. However, I do own the OCs that I may or may not add to the story.

* * *

><p>Tom didn't know why, but Hinata seemed to be getting easily irritated more and more these days. On top of that, she was becoming the world's sluggish woman. She'd eat lots, throw up lots, and then moan and groan about not wanting to move afterwards. Often times, Nina and Mary pinned the blame on him for that. He'd tried to deny it. No, really, he hadn't done nothing to make the girl so agitated! Unfortunately, no one seemed to believe him.<p>

Well, except maybe for Hinata at times. But that didn't really count.

At times he wondered whether this was just a normal woman thing - which he hoped that Mary and Nina would never have to go through once they get older - and other times, he worried that she might have caught something. Like honestly, what if she passed on whatever she had to them?

Tom stood over Hinata's sleeping form and stared hard at her. His mouth was curled down into a frown and eyebrows furrowed together. He didn't understand this. Why the sudden changes in Hinata? Crouching closer to her level, he poked her lightly on the arm. She did nothing but scrunch her face before sleeping soundly once more.

_Let's backtrack a little. I know that Hinata had gone to town two weeks ago to buy some things, _he recalled. Of course, the money she had used to buy her things wasn't his or the girls'. No, he'd never let her have any of their only cash unless he'd have a good reason to do so (buying food, buying clothes, etc.). He remembered her telling him the day after her date with that fatso that he'd given her some money as a sort of apology for suddenly trying to kiss her, so she must've used that money.

Anyway, back to the subject at hand.

It was a little over two weeks before she went to the store that she'd been getting a little more emotional and just strange by the days. Until two weeks ago, she hadn't been experiencing much fatigue and looked almost as lively as the twins. So what, in that time, had changed about her?

_Maybe she really did get some kind of illness and it's affecting her badly? _he wondered.

The boy sighed in aggravation. Damn it, why were girls so troublesome?

Tom gave the girl one more poke at her arm, watching with a mixture of amusement and irritation as her face scrunched up once more for the briefest of moments before it relaxed and she was sleeping soundly again. Deciding that he was done being a creeper, he stood and walked out the door.

Maybe the twins would know?

* * *

><p>"Nina! Mary!" he called out, cupping a hand at the corner of his lips.<p>

He heard a, "Coming!" before the two girls ran out of the trees and stopped beside him. Both were looking at him curiously, and as he looked back at them, he noticed that the two were covered in dirt from head to toe, with Nina being the dirtiest. He didn't question it though, deciding that they had just come from playing in the mud like they did sometimes.

"Hey, you know what's wrong with Hinata?" he asked.

The two tilted their heads to the side, looking confused. "What do you mean?" they asked in unison.

"Well," he stretched the word out, rubbing at the back of his head as he looked away from them, "She's been getting more and more annoying with how she pukes a lot, complains a lot, and then sleeps a lot."

"You don't think she's sick, do you?" Mary questioned.

The two shared looks of worry. It only took a second before their faces darkened.

Tom decided to ignore the mental conversation that they had just had with each other. He said, "Don't know. Probably. Could be. If she is, then we'll have to kick her out."

"What?!" the two gave a high-pitched scream at his words, shocked and hurt that he'd say something like that.

He winced at the screech and pressed one hand to his ear, the eardrums still ringing from the sudden outburst. "That's... not what I meant," he quickly said, seeing the two ready to tear up. "What I mean is that we can't have her around us if she is sick. She's gonna have to sleep away from us so we don't catch whatever she caught."

"But I don't wanna," Mary whined.

Nina nodded in agreement.

He sighed, "So you want to get sick like her?"

The two looked uncertain now. They turned to each other and stared for a long moment, decidedly communicating with their minds as they'd always do, before Mary shouted, "Then there's one thing to do!"

He was afraid to ask, "And what's that?"

"We're gonna have to help Hinata get better!" the two shouted in unison.

He knew he shouldn't have asked.

* * *

><p>"Hi-na-ta~" Mary whined, roughly pulling at the said girl's arm to get her up.<p>

Not too far away Nina sat with a small bowl and a nice clean curved rock in her hand, which she used to pressed on and stir the mixture of unpleasant smelling... whatever that was, in the bowl. She looked determined too.

"You- have- to- eat- it- to- get- be-tter!" Mary said in between each pull on the woman's arm.

From his position leaning at the doorway, he couldn't make out Hinata's form too good what with the poor lighting in the room. However, if one thing he could see from his spot, it was the mixture of fear and desperation that gleamed brightly in the girl's lilac eyes. He smirked, loving every minute of it.

Served the dumb girl right for being such an annoyance these past two weeks.

"W-w-wait! Please, I-I... I'm okay, fine," she tried desperately, keeping herself glued to the floor.

Hmm, he hadn't noticed before, but it looked like Hinata's speech was getting better. She was pronouncing the words pretty well and her sentences were okay now, at least compared to how she was two weeks ago.

"No you're not! You're sick. You've been throwing up a lot and that means you don't feel good! You have to drink it," Mary insisted.

"I'm fine!" Hinata argued, shaking her head furiously. "I-I'm not sick, I'm just tired is all."

Tom snickered as he watched the two females argue. Hinata should know by now that if Nina and Mary were determined to do something, that nothing would stop them. Damn was this amusing, especially the fact that the _twenty-four_ year old was being beaten by a _ten_ year old.

The noirette stopped suddenly at the deadly glare she sent him, only to burst out laughing a second later. Wow, that looked more scary than the one she had given him two days ago. Gotta say, she was definitely improving in them. If she kept it up, she might just be able to rival his own glare.

Ah, life was just too sweet sometimes.

* * *

><p>Tom's face scrunched up in disgust at the putrid stench that wafted towards him. He pinched his nose, trying to block it from taking in the smell of puke that came from one blue haired busty woman a few meters away barfing her guts out.<p>

Well, the twins were definitely able to get Hinata to drink that nasty concoction they had whipped. It was funny seeing her force herself to take the bubbling green liquid, but now...

Now he really wished he had stopped her from doing so.

Nina and Mary had gone off a little earlier when they saw Hinata immediately puking the substance they'd made out into a nearby bush, disappointed that they'd only seemed to worsen her condition but determined to find Hinata a cure. Since the blunette wasn't feeling well and the two girls were out picking plants and whatever else that they decided they would use, that left him the only one to take care of the sick girl.

And sometimes, life was just this big ball of hate that constantly threw itself at his face.

At times he thought that life really hated him.

The sound of more barfing reached his ears and he cringed in disgust. He covered his mouth as he felt the rabbit leg he had eaten earlier forcing its way up his throat.

No, life _did _hate him.

* * *

><p>When Hinata had found out about her little blessing (or maybe it was a problem, considering her situation?), she was overjoyed. Never had she thought that this would happen to her so soon. To think that it was actually happening, especially now when she felt so alone despite having Tom and the twins (she missed her friends greatly). It was such a relief to know that wouldn't be the only Konohanian.<p>

But then horror struck in.

Sasuke wasn't here, Naruto wasn't here, Sakura wasn't here, Ino wasn't here, Kiba wasn't here, Shino wasn't here, her sensei wasn't here; no one from the village was here with her. How could she possibly go through with this? She couldn't possible take care of them all by herself, at least not with Sasuke here with her. What was she to do?

After a long time pondering on the billions of questions that would run through her head everyday, she finally came to a decision. She'd have them. She'll take care of them to the best of her abilities and make sure they have whatever it is they needed. Until she could return to Konoha and tell the others of the great news, she'd do whatever for them.

But as the days turned to weeks, Hinata realized that this wouldn't be too easy.

She was weaker and weaker it seemed as the days went by. Not only that, but she'd puke at least once a day and let her tell you that was not pleasant. Then there was the strange eating habits that she'd taken on, which she knew grossed out the kids. She'd eat lots, almost didn't matter what. Sometimes she'd mixed the few dishes made into one, despite the horrible image of it.

There was also the soreness that came with it. It wasn't anything that she hadn't felt before and she could take it easily, but that didn't mean she was comfortable with it.

Then Tom and the twins decided they wanted to help her (which she knew Tom only wanted to torture her more, he always did). She had hoped to keep it from them for as long as possible and then, when she thought the time was perfect, surprise them with the great news!

But that plan was quickly being thrown out the window.

Hinata swore if she had to drink another one of the twins' concoctions she's gonna freak. They were just awful tasting. She wasn't sure what tasted better: dirt or their 'medicine'.

Now she's never actually eaten it before, but a few times she's gotten it in her mouth when she'd been slammed to the ground. It tasted awful and she never wanted to try it again. But at this point, she'd rather eat dirt than whatever the twins were making.

What did Hinata do to deserve this?

_I'm gonna die before all of this is over, _she thought.

"Come on Hinata~ Try this out, it'll help!" This time it was Nina who would try to persuade her.

Hinata vigorously shook her head, taking slow steps back away from the twins as they held their concoction up for her. Unfortunately for her, they only advanced closer. Another step back she took, and they only came closer by taking one step more than her. "Now now, girls. I-I told you, I'm fine!" she tried, putting her hands up in front of her chest.

They took a step closer, she took a step back.

"But Hinata~" the two chorused, "you're sick. You need to drink this."

Hinata gulped. Why couldn't they just listen to her? Her eyes roamed around the room, looking for a familiar face. Tom was no where in the room, probably sneaked out when the two girls were coming back. Why? Couldn't he help her this once?

"Please, I'm telling you. I-I'm okay, really!" she insisted.

"But you're not!" they argued.

They were now only a few feet from her, still inching closer and closer by the second. Hinata's back hit the hard wooden wall and she tensed, head whipping behind to see that she had hit a dead end. No where did she have to go now and the twins were still advancing, Mary holding up the bowl of... whatever high in the air for her to take.

"Come on~" they whined.

"Nina!" Mary yelled.

The said girl nodded.

Next thing Hinata knew, something was latched onto her legs. She looked down in horror to see Nina's small arms and legs curled around her own legs, holding them firmly together so that she couldn't move. She looked back up just in time to see Mary force herself forward with the push of her legs...

Right at her.

Hinata freaked.

"I'm pregnant!"

She wrapped her arms protectively around Nina and ducked, holding the girl close to her as the bowl Mary was carrying flew at the wall and broke, the strange concoction spilling everywhere and staining the wood a sickly purple. Mary fell to the ground, shocked, landing a few steps in front of Hinata and Nina.

The blunette peaked an eye open and gasped at seeing Mary on the ground, looking at her with shock. Hinata pulled away from Nina and went over to the other twin, kneeling by her side and checking to see if she was alright.

"Are you okay?" she questioned.

Mary just nodded dumbly.

Hinata sighed in relief and turned back to look at Nina once more. The girl was still sitting in her previous position, looking completely frozen. The purple concoction the two had made fell to the ground and moved towards her, staining her blue dress but she didn't seem to notice. Hinata was just glad that she had ducked in time and protected Nina from the small shards.

Who knew Mary would have reacted like that?

"Nina?" Hinata called, worried.

To her surprise it wasn't the twins who responded first.

"You're what?!" A loud _thud! _echoed through the mostly silent room, the basket Tom had been carrying dropping from his hands onto the ground, spilling it's contents onto the floor. He stood there, mouth agape and eyes wide as saucers, looking positively shocked.

The two girls finally seemed to snap out of their trance and all three snapped their heads towards the boy who stood in the doorway, going unnoticed until now.

"Big... brother?" Mary looked surprised to see him there.

Actually, all of them were. They thought that he had gone somewhere away, presumably to train or something.

Had he been here the whole time?

"D-did you say... that you're p... pregnant?" Wait, did Tom just stutter?

Hinata nodded slowly, uncertainly. The expression Tom wore was somehow scaring her.

"I... I uh, I mean... You - I... that is..." He suddenly turned on his heels and walked out almost robotically. "I think I'm still asleep. I'll go drown myself now to make sure."

The three girls quickly walked out of the house and watched as he walked away, becoming smaller and smaller before he was gone within the various trees surrounding the area. Suddenly, his words finally registered in Hinata's mind and she screamed.

"Wait, don't drown yourself!"

* * *

><p><strong>~Review~<strong>


	6. To Shiganshina

**Author's Note: **So Hinata's pregnant...

Like I told one or two of my reviewers, I hadn't originally planned on it, though after a bit of thought decided to put it in. I think they'd make a nice addition, don't you?

The reason I put them in, at first, was because I thought it would be nice for Hinata to have someone else from the other world with her. Someone who is close to her, who she can care for and in return someone who can give her a sense of hope that she'll be able to get back. Someone who she can take comfort in being beside her. Someone who can give others hope.

I didn't want it to be one of the Konoha 12, or someone who she knows well. And I didn't want to just have another OC somehow pop up in the world. So I thought what the heck! Her and Sasuke are going out, as I've told you in the story. And their adults now. Why not have them have a child?

And how cool would it be to have a little kid, not even half the age of the main characters, be able to kick most of their butts? He'd be like the hope for mankind (besides Eren, Mikasa and Levi of course). Like the miniature version of Chuck Norris to them.

Well, that's my plan, but I don't know. If you guys want, I can just kill them off (gosh do I sound like a bastard right now). I know that there are many who are not too fond of OCs and I understand. I used to hate them too just because I would always came up to Mary Sues/Gary-stus and that was just annoying. If you guys don't want them here, than I can get rid of them.

**Disclaimer: **I'm not sure why I'm doing this because I haven't done it for my other stories and I think it's pretty obvious that I don't own anything, but here goes. Shingeki no Kyojin/Attack on Titan is property of Hajime Isayama and Naruto/Naruto Shippuden is property of Masashi Kishimoto. I do not own the characters, setting, etc. that I may or may not use and are property of their respective owners. However, I do own the OCs that I may or may not add to the story.

* * *

><p>Tom opened the door and peeked his head into the room. His eyes searched the room for any hints of what he was looking for and when he saw none, he turned and went to the next destination. He searched the two other rooms, but came up empty-handed. Finally, he made his way to the kitchen where his two sisters were at and leaned against the doorway.<p>

"Where's Hinata?" he asked.

"Don't know," Mary sang without looking up from the basket she was working on.

"Nina?"

"She's outside doing that weird thing with her eyes again," Nina answered.

The girl turned her gaze to the doorway, only to find that her brother wasn't there anymore. Looking around, she didn't spot him anyway in the room. She decided that it didn't concern her, so she went back to writing on the table with the end point of her fork.

* * *

><p>Tom walked through the thick forest, the crunching of random twigs and pines filling the otherwise silent walk. Looking through the thick foliage, his eyes squinted upon spotting the blue haired beauty he was searching for.<p>

"Hey!" he called, raising a hand in the air.

The woman turned and despite being so far away from her, he noticed the veins that bulged around her eyes disappearing from sight. He crinkled his nose at the sight of her active eyes. While he'd seen Hinata do... whatever it was that she did with her eyes, many times before, it still freaked him out to an extent. It was just so abnormal and cringe-worthy and he didn't think he'd be getting used to it anytime soon.

"What is it?" asked Hinata once he was closer to her.

He stopped a few paces from her and crossed his arms over his chest, raising an eyebrow. "What are you doing here?" he questioned.

Hinata looked back in front of her and Tom had no doubt that she was doing that freaky thing with her eyes again. "Looking for my friends," she answered.

"..."

"Is there anything else you wanted?" she asked politely.

"No." Tom turned sharply and walked back in the direction he came from, leaving Hinata once more alone in the forest.

* * *

><p>"We're going to Wall Maria."<p>

"Huh?" Three sets of heads turned simultaneously to stare at the boy.

Tom continued, "More specifically, to Shiganshina."

"Why are we going there?" Mary questioned.

"Because I heard the Survey Corps are going on another expedition outside the walls. If we go now, we should be able to see them when they return," answered Tom.

"Survey Corps?" this time it was Hinata who spoke.

The blunette could have sworn she heard the name somewhere before. She wasn't sure where or from whom, but she somehow got the feeling that they were important and she should know about them. Maybe one of the three had sometime ago talked about the Survey Corps?

"Oh right," a look of realization fell upon Tom's face, "You don't know much about this place, so you don't know who the Scouts are. Here's a brief summary: they're basically really strong people who go outside the walls and fight Titans and try to get us more land, or something like that."

"What are Titans?"

"Titans are huge monsters who eat humans, or so I've heard," he explained.

"Or so you've heard?" Hinata questioned, "So you've never seen one before?"

He shook his head negative.

"I think only the Scouts and the Garrison have seen Titans before," he replied.

"The Garrison...?"

"I'll explain it all later," he sighed. "Anyway, we're going to be heading out tomorrow so you guys should start packing. We're gonna be gone a week, minimum. It'll take a few days to get to Shiganshina, think you're up for it Hinata?"

The blunette nodded.

"Wait, wait!" Mary waved her arms in front of her in protest, a frown marring her features, "No way! I don't wanna! I don't wanna go all the way there!"

"We're gonna."

"But I don't wanna!"

"And we're still gonna."

"Why?!"

"Because," Tom said with finality, crossing his arms over his chest and looking down at Mary sternly. "Just go get ready."

Mary scowled, puffing out her cheeks as she gave her brother a big glare. With a harrumph, she stomped her foot on and turned to get her stuff.

The three watched her leave, waiting until she was finally out of the room before continuing on with what they were previously doing. Nina hopped off of her seat and jumped into Hinata's lap. Looking up, she smiled brightly at the blunette. "So Hinata's coming with us?"

"Yup."

"And we're gonna be seeing the Scout Regiment together?"

"That's what I said," Tom replied.

Nina's smile turned into a full-blown grin as she cheered, "Yay!" Standing up, Nina clasped Hinata's hands in her own and bounced up and down in excitement. "Then we can show Hinata more of Wall Rose and Wall Maria. And we can tell each other stories and sit at a campfire and sleep together and-"

"And we get it. Go pack," Tom interrupted her.

Nina pouted, but followed nonetheless.

Hinata stood from her seat and the two went, with Nina laughing and rocking the hand she grasped back and forth in excitement.

* * *

><p>"Clothes?"<p>

"Check."

"Food?"

"Check."

"Water?"

"Check."

"Sleeping bags?"

"Check."

"To-"

"Check."

Tom frowned and crossed his arms in annoyance at being interrupted, staring down at the oldest twin in unamusement, who only grinned back at him, enjoying his displeasure. It was her way of payback for making her have to go so far from home. Trost was far enough, Mary couldn't stand the thought of going even further south and away from the house.

"Let's go," Tom ordered.

He turned on his heels and headed out, the three females following right behind him. Nina stuck close to Hinata, holding firmly to the older woman's hand while the other held the strap to the bag over her shoulder. Mary turned back to pouting, glaring down at the ground as she stomped loudly to let everyone know of her anger.

Somehow Hinata got the feeling that today, as well as the rest of the days that it took to get to Shiganshina, would be long.

* * *

><p>Hinata sat a few feet away from the campfire they had built earlier. They had been walking pretty much all day, with the exceptions of meal times and bathroom breaks, and she was honestly tired. Though not nearly enough that she wanted to go to sleep. Nina and Mary were curled up on either side of her and so she had a limited amount of movement. Her butt was getting rather numb, too from sitting so long. How unfortunate for her, and she couldn't move much or risk either of the two girls waking up.<p>

"What are you still doing up?"

The blunette averted her gaze from the orange flames, settling it on the raven haired boy a few meters away from her, arms crossed and leaning against a tree with a scowl on his face. "I'm not sleepy," she replied simply.

His scowl deepened, "That's not good. Go to sleep."

She didn't move.

He glared at her.

She blinked back slowly.

"I said go to sleep," he ordered.

Turning her head, Hinata looked back into the blazing flames with a blank look.

"Hina-"

"Thank you."

"Huh?"

Hinata closed her eyes briefly and smiled, "Thank you. For doing this. For taking us to Shiganshina."

He turned away, his cheeks flushed a little. "Yeah, whatever. I just want to see the Survey Corps. But if you're gonna view it that way, than I guess just think of it as payback for helping us."

"Right," her smile only widened.

"Get some sleep." He turned and harrumphed, ending their little conversation.

* * *

><p>It took a few days, just as Tom had said, but they had finally made it to the district of Shiganshina. They barely had any breaks and so Hinata's feet were aching by the time they reached their destination. Beside her, Mary whined and whined loudly about how own sore feet. Nina still held onto Hinata's hand and walked beside her, smiling at everything she saw.<p>

"First we're gonna find a place to stay. Who knows when the Survey Corps are coming back," Tom said.

The four took off in a random direction, allowing Tom to lead the way. Many times they stopped to ask for information from the residents. It didn't take them too long before they came to an inn and the four stopped close to the entrance.

"This is where you come in, Hinata," Tom said, grinning up at her.

Hinata blushed and took a step back. "N-no, I can't!" she protested.

"So we're gonna sleep on the streets?"

She shook her head. Sighing, the woman's shoulders sagged in defeat. She always hated how Tom liked to play the guilt trip on her. It just wasn't fair! "Fine."

The three walked inside and Hinata almost sighed in relief when she noticed the one running the inn was a female. Moving to the counter where the woman was stationed at, Tom asked how much one room was and Hinata dug into her pockets for the remaining money she possessed when they was told. Handing it to the woman, she allowed Nina to drag her to their new room while Tom took the key with Mary beside him.

Hey, she still had to act blind.

"Finally!" Mary yelled once they'd gotten to the room. She gave a giddy laugh and bounced to one of the two beds in the room, flopping down on her stomach. Flipping over, she stretched her arms and legs out at her sides and sighed in relief.

Nina, seeing her twin ready to fall asleep any moment, ran over to her and jumped on the bed as well. Mary gave a squeal when she saw her sister and quickly rolled on her side to avoid getting hit. The two stared at each other, blank faced, before bursting out laughing.

Hinata smiled at the scene.

"Since there's only two beds, we're gonna have to share," Tom told them. "One of you is going to sleep with me while the other with Hinata."

"Big brother!"

"Hinata!"

The two twins stared at each other once more, before once again bursting out laughing.

"Then I guess it's decided," Hinata said.

* * *

><p>"Where are you going?"<p>

Hinata paused mid-way to opening the door and looked over her shoulder. Tom stood leaning against the far wall, arms crossed and an eyebrow raised. "I'm... I'm just gonna check something out," she replied.

He sighed, but did not object. She heard him turn and he said, "Don't be gone long."

Once he was back in bed and curled next to Mary, Hinata opened the door and left. Hinata made a dash for the gigantic wall surrounding the city. From house to house, Hinata jumped on the rooftops, making swift progress. She came to a skidding halt at the giant wall and narrowed her eyes as her gaze traveled up until it reached the top.

_There should be guards up there, _she thought.

Hinata closed her eyes shut and brought her hands together to form a seal. Concentrating, she pumped a fair amount of chakra to the bottom of her feet and, opening her eyes once again, she stuck a foot on the wall. Hinata started cautiously, making sure that she wouldn't fall. Once sure it was okay, she quickened her pace until she was running.

Faintly the veins bulged at her temples as she activated her Byakugan to the lowest level. _There's two guards right ahead of me, and then four more to the left and one to the right, _she noted.

Making her way to the right, Hinata snuck onto the top and hid as well as she could limited in the hiding places available. She crouched in between a crate and a... she wasn't sure what it was, but it looked like a machine for fighting. Which no doubt it was. The veins around her eyes bulged further and she concentrated straight ahead of her. _If I focus only in front of me, I'll be able to see a little farther.__  
><em>

She wouldn't be able to see the guards around her. However, if it allowed her to see farther, she didn't care. She just hoped she wouldn't get caught before she was done.

With her eyes activated, Hinata gazed as far as her eyes could see in wonderment. The part of land that was not lost to her vision was mostly bare, with randomly placed bushes and trees filling the otherwise clear plains. A few dozen of different animals, like deer and rabbits, wandered through the land, unbothered by the other creatures they shared the land with.

Humans? No, they weren't humans. They couldn't be.

Could they?

They certainly looked a lot like humans but their anatomy was a little different. From fifteen meters tall to what Hinata could tell was two, they ranged in shapes and sizes. Majority of them, however, were chubby-looking. Unfit. It was a wonder how they could walk with so much weight on them.

Then there were the more thinner ones. Scrawny, with ribs protruding out of their skins and long arms containing almost no fat. Legs that looked like they wouldn't be able to carry even half of their weight supported them somehow, allowing them usage despite being so lanky.

Permanent grins split their faces and the lack of emotion she could detect from them disturbed her. Eyes glazed, they looked on as if in a trance as they made their way around. The fact that they didn't have any form of clothing on and their bodies free for all to see made it worse. Though not like they did have anything... down there, anyway.

Or up there.

Actually, the majority of them were male-looking. Hinata could only spot one or two that looked relatively female, but the rest were easily males.

Were these the Titans that Tom spoke of earlier? They were definitely monstrous-looking.

_Creepy, _she thought, cringing.

Hinata averted her attention from the strange monsters, instead focusing more on finding some land that, hopefully, looked family to her. She searched and search, straining her eyes to find even a hint of anything. All she could see, however, was the unfamiliar greenery and the Titans. She frowned.

_I've been looking for a while but I still can't find anything. Where am I? _she questioned.

"Hey! Who's there!?"

The blunette deactivated her eyes on instinct, something she had come accustomed to doing when any of the three found her with the Byakugan activated (they weren't the biggest of fans), and snapped her head in the direction of the voice. Two men, guards from the looks of it wearing the customary uniform assigned to them came running towards her, swords drawn and ready for battle.

From the other side, Hinata heard even more footsteps, more guards coming at the sound of a possible enemy.

Deciding that she'd stayed long enough, Hinata took off in a sprint, making sure to stay low. She heard one of the guards yelling at her to stop but ignored him. Jumping over the edge of the wall, she allowed herself to free fall fifty meters down. Her hair whipped about her and she squinted, the wind that mercilessly attack her stinging her eyes.

"Insane! What do you think you're doing!"

Hinata was falling and falling and falling, the ground below coming nearer and nearer to her. Half way down the wall, Hinata twisted her body skillfully and planted a hand on the wall, letting the skin ghost over the smooth stone as she pumped a fair bit of chakra into her palm. Grabbing at the wall, Hinata came to an immediate halt. She gave a wince at the pain in her hand, but otherwise didn't show any other indication the action affected her.

Righting herself, Hinata stood up on the wall and ran down. She heard a chorus of shocked gasps and briefly glanced back to see the guards gawking at her, their mouths hanging open so far that it was a wonder that they were still in place.

By the time the apparent leader had snapped out of his stupor Hinata was already down the wall. He shouted at her to come back, but she was too far away by then to hear him. Hinata ran and ran, meandering through the unfamiliar terrain trying to recall the way back. At the sight of the inn she relaxed, relieved. She slowed to a jog and made it to the room she shared with the three kids as quietly as possible without disturbing anyone.

_I think I escaped without them seeing my face, _she thought.

Hinata opened the door and peeked into the room. She blinked a few times when she saw that the three were still in their beds asleep and gave a sigh of relief. Opening the door fully, she walked inside and shut it behind herself, taking off her shoes at the entrance and moving to the bed she shared with Nina. Sliding within the sheets, Hinata lay close to Nina's sleeping form and closed her eyes.

She felt the bed shift and something warm pressed against her front. Peaking an eye open, Hinata smiled at seeing Nina curled right next to her, on her side with her arms folded in front of her.

"Goodnight," she mumbled, before dozing off as well.

* * *

><p><strong>QUESTION: <strong>Do you guys want me to keep the baby in the fic? Or kill it off somehow? And if you want it to stay, what do you want it to be. Boy? Girl? Boy and boy? Girl and boy?

I honestly prefer boy, but that's just me. What about you guys?


	7. The Heroes, the Fallen

**Author's Note: **Seems like the majority of you want me to keep the baby in the fic. Still not sure whether to do this or not, as it was pretty close, so I'll wait. But for those of you who're worried about the baby distracting Hinata from fighting the Titans, don't be! I've always planned for her to fight alongside the Scouts, a baby getting thrown in the mix won't stop that ;)

One more thing, thank you to those who reviewed the last chapter. I got 7 reviews! While it's nice to see that people are reading this story, it's the reviews that I get that really make my day. I love hearing feedback from you guys, the readers. So thank you.

Here have a cookie. *hands cookies out to the reviewers*

**Disclaimer: **I'm not sure why I'm doing this because I haven't done it for my other stories and I think it's pretty obvious that I don't own anything, but here goes. Shingeki no Kyojin/Attack on Titan is property of Hajime Isayama and Naruto/Naruto Shippuden is property of Masashi Kishimoto. I do not own the characters, setting, etc. that I may or may not use and are property of their respective owners. However, I do own the OCs that I may or may not add to the story.

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><p>The bells chimed loudly, echoing throughout the city. People buzzed at the news and many were rushing to the gates to see the remains of the strongest of fighters the military had to offer. People whispered to each other, gossiping about the mighty heroes. Everyone was curious of the latest stats of the Scouts, and Tom and the other three were of no exception.<p>

Tom meandered skillfully through the crowd, pushing and maneuvering around people all the while creating an easy path for the three females to go through. Nina and Mary held on to a hand each, pulling Hinata forward with excited jerks as they ran after their brother.

"Move out of the way, fatass!" Tom yelled, pushing another bystander out of the way.

"Who you callin' fatass? Get back here you little punk!" the man yelled.

He was, of course, ignored.

Hinata whispered the man a quick apology as she was dragged after him.

The gate creaked open in the distance and, as if it was a cue, the people split into two messy lines, giving just enough room for four or so people to walk by. Hinata grunted as she was pushed aside, this time not by Mary and Nina. The three females fought to right themselves and find a good place spacey enough for them to fit as well as give them a good view.

"Damn it, get out of the way I said!" Tom growled, kicking another man in the rear and making him fall forward on his hands and knees.

Before the man could do anything, Tom grabbed onto Nina's hand and pulled her forward through the gap he had created, forcing the other two to follow. They jumped over the man and ran to a fairly empty space just behind the crowd. The man yelled at them but he was ignored. Mary and Nina climbed onto two barrels to get a better view while Tom stood on top of a smaller box. There was another, but Hinata didn't take it. From her spot she had a good enough view of soldiers.

"Here they are," Tom stated the obvious.

Hinata faced the marching soldiers. There were a little more than a two dozens of them, all treading through the streets, heads bowed and eyes blanked. Most were men, with few women, though that somehow didn't surprise Hinata.

They walked with hunched over shoulders, staring at the ground solemnly. More than half of them looked hurt in some way. Some had a limb or two torn off and bandages tied tightly around the stumps. Others the bandages covered their faces. Dried blotches of blood stained at the dirty bandages, none of their wounds looked to be wrapped carefully. Messy, as if they were in a rush and just did it to allow the injured some form of aid.

Hinata cringed at their states, the sight of the injuries not the only thing that disturbed her.

It was their eyes. So blank, showing nothing but defeat. They were dead. Not physically, but mentally. No ounce of strength did they possess; they were just walking corpses now. A shinobi that missed death by a hair's breath and still forced to stay and fight despite the fear. So close, they were definitely at their limits.

No, they were pushed over their limits.

They knew it. If they went out there again, they would die. They may be skilled, but it takes a lot more than that to survive in this cruel, cruel world.

Hinata's mind suddenly flashed to Fourth Shinobi World War and all the lives that were lost in front of her eyes, all the lives that she might have been able to save if only she hadn't been so weak. All the lives she could have saved if only she wasn't so focused on Naruto. And then her dear brother.

_Neji-nii-san..._

A sob escaped her clenched teeth and she wiped a hand over her cheeks, soaking the skin with her fallen tears. Looking at her wet hand, more droplets of salty water bounced on her flesh. Memories of Neji fighting back-to-back with her flooded her mind. He was so kind to her, so protecting of her. When she needed him he was there for her.

_And he's now dead._

The blunette quickly wiped the tears from her eyes with the cuffs of her shirt until they were dry. She steeled herself to calm down and looked back to the marching soldiers. She didn't want Tom or the twins to see her in such a state.

"Not many made it back," Tom commented.

It was then that a woman, graying and wrinkled with age, pushed her way passed the crowd and stumbled to the soldiers. "Moses! Moses!" she yelled, looking around the one she called, only to come up empty. She walked up to one of the soldiers and gripped at his green cloak. "I don't see my son Moses anywhere... Do you know where he is?"

"This is Moses' mother," he gave a signal to the soldier beside him, who walked off somewhere.

Hinata watched solemnly as the man returned and handed the woman an object wrapped in a stained white cloth. The woman shakily unwrapped the thing and Hinata cringed at seeing a bloody and rotting appendage.

"It's all we could bring back of him," the man said.

The woman fell to her knees and began wailing loudly for her loss, clutching the remains of her son closely to her. Hinata looked away, unable to watch the scene in front of her any longer.

"But... my son... He was helpful, right? Even if he isn't a hero... he at least died helping mankind fight back, right?" questioned the woman.

Hinata clenched her hands into tight fists, shutting her eyes as her body shook. She knew how the woman felt. She had been in her shoes many times. She may not have lost a child, but she had lost family members. Her big brother, her uncle... All those Hyugas who had died fighting in the war, and even before and after the war. She wasn't very close to a lot of them, but they were still family nonetheless. She mourned for their loss and especially, her dear cousin who she thought of as a big brother.

"Of course...!"

_Liar, _she thought. It was clear as day in his tone.

Her son's death was all in vain.

And as if he could no longer hold up the big boulder of guilt, he fell to his knees and confessed. "No... On this expedition we... No... just like all the other expeditions... we achieved nothing!" he yelled the last part out, his voice cracking under the pressure.

"My incompetence has done nothing but send my soldiers to their deaths! And we still haven't learned anything useful about the Titans!"

Hinata opened her eyes and looked in grief at the soldier and mother. Yes, she knew exactly how this felt. Knew exactly how being a failure felt, and knew exactly how losing the ones she loved felt. She had gone through this, she knew what it was they were going through. And because of this, she could sympathize with both of them.

Tears once more prickled at her eyes but she held strong. She wouldn't cry, not anymore. Or at least, not in front of the kids. She had to be strong.

"Hey, why are you crying?"

Tom's question brought Hinata's attention to the twins. The sound of sniffling reached her ears and Hinata's heart sank at seeing both the twins covering their eyes and sobbing.

"If I knew you two would cry seeing this, I wouldn't have come here. Hey, it's okay. Don't cry," Tom tried, giving each a comforting pat on the head.

Still, they did not stop.

Hinata walked over to them and placed a hand each on their shoulders.

"Hinata...?"

"Come on, why don't we get out of here?" she told the two in a gentle tone.

They both looked up and, at the sight of her, sobbed even harder. Without any warning, both jumped at her. She struggled a little to catch them, but was able to do so with her shinobi skills. "Hinata!" the two screamed, burying their heads into the crook of her neck.

Hinata allowed their tears to soak her neck and parts of her hair. They held on to her with a death grip, pinching her skin through the cloth she wore. She didn't comment on it, though. This scene was far too much for the twins to take. They shouldn't have seen it. Only ten years old and they were already a witness to barely-escaped death.

"Ssh, it's okay," she soothed.

"Sorry," Tom muttered an apology, rubbing soothing circles on their backs.

"Why don't we go somewhere else?" Hinata suggested.

The two shared a brief exchanged before they both walked off, away from the crowd. Tom made a small path for them, just as he'd done earlier, and they made their way to a more desolate place, away from the depressing scene.

"It's okay now," Hinata told the twins.

The blunette found a nice spot on some stairs and sat down, being carefully with the twins. Both sat on her lap and she adjusted her hold so that now she could rub their backs in a comforting manner. Tom sat beside her, watching with guilt as the two cried.

She gently pushed the two away, just enough that they could see her face, and she smiled down at them. Both sniffled and gripped at her clothes tighter, pinching even harder at her skin but she gave no indication that it hurt. "Listen, why don't we go get something to eat? And then play some games?" she asked.

It would be best to get the two's mind off of what had just happened.

Nina and Mary shared a look before looking back at her. They were hesitant, but they nodded their hands. Hinata held them steady as they wiped the remainder of the tears from their eyes before standing up, a little wobbly at first.

"Come on," Tom said, holding both his hands out for the two to take. "Let's go do something fun and get your minds off of what happened."

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><p>It took a while, but Tom and Hinata had finally gotten the two to cheer up. They had played a few games, like hide and seek and tag, which the two weren't so keen on in the beginning, but after a while were able to get into it. Then after that, they'd gone out to a restaurant of the twins' picking and ate. Since Hinata had payed for the inn, it was Tom that payed for the meal.<p>

He didn't seem to mind though, he was just happy that the two were fine again.

At dinner Tom had suggested that they head back home today. They had done what they came here to do and he just wanted to go home. Hinata though, thought that it'd be better if they stayed in the city a little longer, one more day at least so that the twins could rest after all that had happened.

It took a little time, but Hinata was able to convince him after telling him it was for the good of the twins.

So once the four were done eating, they went out for a nice long stroll. It was nice to see more of the district. Trost was full of many people, but Shiganshina was packed. Houses upon houses fell into many rows, barely leaving much of a gap between each other for others to walk through. With so many houses and so many people, Hinata was surprised that the streets weren't crowded.

Then again, this was around the time of day when everyone was either eating or getting ready to relax and soon head to bed.

It was so peaceful, with the wind blowing gently and caressing her exposed skin. With children out playing and parents watching them. It was at times like this Hinata felt most grateful for.

_If only Sasuke was here with us. _It would definitely have made the evening better.

Hinata quickly shook her head at the negative thoughts creeping in her mind, waiting for just the right moment to strike her. She wouldn't think badly, not right now. The twins were finally back to normal, she wouldn't dampen their moods.

"I think we should head back now. It's getting late," Tom said.

The two twins pouted.

"Aww, do we have to?" Mary questioned.

"Yes. We're gonna head out early tomorrow so you need to get a good night's rest," he replied, poking the girl in the nose. "Don't want you to be a grumpy ogre when you wake up, right?"

The others laughed, receiving a glare - one more cute than deadly - from the girl as she puffed out her cheeks.

"You know, I've heard you call the twins an ogre before, but I don't know why. What is that, anyway?" Hinata inquired.

"Hmm?" He shrugged his shoulders, "Don't know. My dad used to tease me about being an ogre whenever I did something wrong and yelled at him for grounding me. I think he said it was a term used long ago, before the walls were put up and Titans attack, to describe these hideous looking monsters who hated everything and liked to eat people."

"Kinda like the Titans..." she mused.

"Did you say something?"

Hinata shook her head at Tom's question. "So which way's to the inn?"

The three stopped suddenly and looked at each other. When no one spoke up it was then that they realized, they didn't know where to go.

"Big brother...?" Mary called fearfully.

"Don't panic. We'll just retract our steps. Go back the way we came from and we'll be back at the inn," Tom said.

The four turned around and began the long trek back the way they came. Both Nina and Mary clutched tightly to Hinata's hands as they moved along, making sure to stay close to her. Hinata tried to imagine the route they had taken from the inn to the restaurant, and then to here.

_It'd be easier if I just used the Byakugan, _Hinata thought.

The blunette suddenly gasped. Coming to a complete halt, the two twins gave a small gasp as they were yanked back and into Hinata. The two blinked, exchanging a look, and looked up at Hinata to find her staring up at the wall far in the distance with eyes wide as saucers and mouth hanging open. They suddenly grew nervous.

"Hey, why'd you guys stop?" Tom questioned.

"Tom, duck do-"

Hinata was caught off as a bolt of orange lightning struck the ground just outside the walls and shook the ground to its core. She hugged the twins to her, pulling them down and covered them as best she could. From beside her, she heard Tom give a gasp and then a thud was heard. He had fallen to the ground.

"Wha... What the hell was that!?" Tom yelled.

Hinata pulled away from the two and they all looked up just in time to see a red hand emerge from over the wall, gripping firmly at the wall and causing the stone to crack under the pressure. A head poked out from over the fifty foot wall, skinless and steaming from the heat of its body.

The four gaped at the head, each unable to form any words. It was Tom that was the first to break the silence. "Tha-tha-tha... It's a Titan!" he screamed in horror.

At that moment, it felt as if the world had stopped and frozen in place. The sudden realization that a Titan was in front of them, its head looming over the fifty foot wall, took their breaths away. It just couldn't be possible. The walls were built fifty feet to keep all the Titans from coming inside. Yet, here was a Titan. Easily taller than the wall.

There shouldn't a Titan this big. Hinata had been told that they only went up to fifteen meters max. This Titan was no where near fifteen meters. Her heart skipped a beat. Did... Did this mean... that... Was this the day that the walls would break?

As if to answer her question, the head of the Titan leaned forward and, without a beat skipped, there was a resounding crash that pierced through the air. The backlash of the attack on the wall had Hinata stiffening her legs in an effort to not be blown back as she shielded the twins once more. Smoke and debris flew through the air. Rocks of various sizes fell from the sky, crashing into the ground below and taking many lives in the process. The girls screamed bloody murder when a piece of the wall flew towards them, the large rock easily as big as a house.

Hinata's shinobi instincts kicked in, her body reacting on its own. Standing, she picked up the two girls harshly, no time to think as she rushed to Tom and kicked him away far enough that he wouldn't be hit. Just as the massive piece of debris fell upon them, Hinata jumped forward and out of harms way.

And in the nick of time.

Screams resounded throughout the air. Many shrieked in pure terror as more and more rocks fell and crushed people under them. There was a rush of footsteps as the citizens tried to escape from the horror. Those who were left behind were either the dead, grieving or the dazed.

Hinata ignored the screams and wailing of the people. Straightening from her position as a shield between the twins and the debris, she gave a quick sweep of the three to make sure that they weren't hurt badly. Nina and Mary were relatively fine, and Tom only had a growing bruise in the spot she had kicking him in. He was alright. They were all alright.

They'd live.

Looking back to the wall, her eyes widened at the sight of the Titans flooding through the hole created by the colossal one. The wall had been breached, the Titans now had a way to get in. Today, many would die.

Today, chaos would rein.

...today, humanity would lose.

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><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>You just know that someone's gonna die. Someone... someone... One of the four? Or someone else?


	8. The Fall of Shiganshina Part 1: Chaos

**Author's Note: **I honestly hate this chapter. I was so excited to type it out but once I got down to it and finished, I hated it. In my head the scenes were more emotional and exciting, but having it written down it's no where near my imagination TT-TT I'm so not good at writing emotional scenes and, even worse, fighting scenes. I apologize for my failure.

Before we get on with the story, I'd just like to give a quick thanks to the people who reviewed last chapter. This time I got 6 reviews.

**Disclaimer: **I'm not sure why I'm doing this because I haven't done it for my other stories and I think it's pretty obvious that I don't own anything, but here goes. Shingeki no Kyojin/Attack on Titan is property of Hajime Isayama and Naruto/Naruto Shippuden is property of Masashi Kishimoto. I do not own the characters, setting, etc. that I may or may not use and are property of their respective owners. However, I do own the OCs that I may or may not add to the story.

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><p>Chaos. Pure and utter chaos. It raged all around her. People screamed and yelled, the shrieks loud and piercing. It was as if banshees were littering the city district, filling the air with their screeches. Many were terrified, a lot were still frozen in spot in disbelief at what was happening. Those who weren't in a stupor were either wailing for those that were crushed by the debris or making a run for it away from the gaping hole left in the wall by the colossal one.<p>

Heavy, booming footsteps shook the ground and echoed throughout the city. The first wave of Titans entered through the hole, wearing grins that split their faces and showed of their lust. Those closest to hole were swiftly devoured, their cries of help ignored by the people in favor of saving their own lives.

In under a minute, more than a dozen had already fallen to the Titans. Too slow to get away, they were scooped up by the Titans' giant hands and devoured. Some were toyed with first, twisted this way and that before getting eaten. Other were crushed to death in their grips. Those weren't even the most gruesome ways the Titans killed their prey either. Hinata had seen the Titans the day prior, when she had gone to check out the land outside the walls, but until now she hadn't a clue to their true horror.

"H-help me! Somebody! P-plea-"

The screams fell on deaf's ears. Hinata averted her eyes from the scene as another civilian was crushed between the mighty jaws of a Titan, instantly getting killed. She moved to stand in front of Nina and Mary, blocking their view of the horrific sight. Both were frozen in place, unable to break from their dazes. This was just all too shocking and unbelievable to them.

Although her back was turned to the massacre, Hinata's mind was able to conjure up the image of the man being severed in half, blood spraying everywhere and innards falling out of the open wound. She was no stranger to these horrors. Many times she'd experience it and it helped make the images that much more realistic, more gory.

She may be used to the sight but that didn't mean she was comfortable with it.

Hugging the twins to herself, she allowed their tears to soak her cream colored shirt. They hugged her tightly, rubbing their faces into her torso as they cried. Looking to Tom, he wasn't much better. Maybe even worse. So frozen in his spot, he could do nothing more but gape at the Wall.

_If we don't get out of here, we're gonna get eaten too like all those others, _she thought.

"Come on," Hinata pushed the two girls away from her so that they could see her face, "we have to get out of here."

The two made to embrace her once more, silently protesting at being pulled away from her. She quickly stopped them with a squeeze on their shoulders. This was no time to be crying. They needed to get away from here and now.

"Tom!"

He didn't react.

It was rather shocking to see Tom so frozen; so _scared. _He wasn't one to easily fear and seeing him like this was unsettling. With her attention on Tom, the twins used this opportunity to nuzzle their faces into her shirt once more, crying even louder. Even their brother, who they thought of as the bravest person in the world, was scared._  
><em>

The footsteps grew louder, the screams closer. Looking back, Hinata found more and more Titans swarming the city. The closest to them was currently crushing a middle-aged woman within its grasp, squeezing the life out of her and causing her to spurt out blood. A dozen other Titans were eagerly making their way towards the four, not too far from the closest of them. At this rate, if they didn't get a move on then they would surely die.

"They... they're here. I-it's over... W-we're gonna die," Tom muttered, falling flat on his rear.

"Tom don't say that! Snap out of it!" Hinata demanded.

The boy gripped at the sides of his head, pulling at his messy black strands. Her pleas were drowned out by his fear and his tears slid down his pale face, falling to the ground with a _splat! _No more was he focused on what was happening, too absorbed in the thought of the death of him and his sisters.

"There's no way out of this... We're gonna die... We're all gonna die..."

_Slap!_

Tom blinked a few times, clutching his reddening cheek. Looking up with wide eyes at Hinata, he barely caught the words she spoke in his shock.

"Listen Tom! No one's going to die! We're not going to die! I'll make sure of it, I promise this on my life. I will protect you guys. So get up. Stand up and let's run," she told him fiercely, hand still raised from the slap she had delivered him.

The twins stared at their brother in anticipation, as if his next response would be the deciding factor. Would they live, or would they die?

"Look," this time she was gentler, her tone softer, "You're sisters are counting on you. If you're going to freeze up and cry, what do you think they'll do?"

The slap he felt at their tear-streaked faces was much greater than the one she had delivered. Guilt and shame built up in him at the realization. Bowing his head, he sniffed and rubbed the tears from his swollen eyes with the back of his sleeve. "Sorry," he apologized. Looking up, Hinata caught the look of determination in his green orbs, the fear he felt earlier suppressed and barely there.

"Sorry," his voice was stronger this time. "You're right. I'm fine now," he stood and thanked her.

Hinata would have smiled at seeing him reverting back to his usual self, but the stomping of the Titans stopped her. She nodded to him and turned her attention back to the twins, who looked a little less troubled with their brother's normal self back. Once more she pushed them away from her and urged them to run. "Come on, we have to get out of here, now. Both of you run as fast as you can, you too Tom," she told them.

With a nod, Tom turned on his heels and lead the way, the girls sprinting right behind him. Mary held firmly to Nina's hand, and she held Tom's, making sure they wouldn't be separated. She briefly looked back at the Titans. The closest to them, about a few hundred meters away from them, had just finished his meal and was slowly making his way towards them. The others were busy toying with their meals to notice them.

_I'm sorry, please forgive me. _With a push of her legs, she took after the kids.

"We're gonna have to make it back inside Wall Maria somehow," Tom said once she caught up. He ignored the bloody carcasses lay strewn across the streets, the sound of the Titans' heavy footsteps helping him in focusing on his task. "There should be boats at the river that passes this district where they'll be loading people. If we hurry, we'll be able to make it there and escape by boat. It's the fastest way back to Wall Maria."

"Where is that though?" Hinata questioned.

"The river should be running to the left of us," he replied.

The four meandered through the streets, avoiding the nameless corpses and the giant rocks littering the place. They took a sharp left, in the process dodging another dead man impaled by a sharp piece of debris through the head. Mary and Nina whimpered at seeing the sight, and Hinata gave Mary's hand a squeeze. She sped up, urging the others as well with a pull to Mary's hand.

"Help me!"

"Somebody please help me!"

"No, please! AAHH!"

Mary and Nina shut their eyes to the sight and wished nothing more than to be able to block out the sounds of the screams. One of them stumbled, too shaken to pay attention, and Hinata paused to catch Mary, who almost dragged Nina down with her if not for Tom's quick reflexes. With the quick pace broken, Hinata had no choice but to stop.

The blunette crouched beside Mary and shook her. The girl trembled in her hands and refused to move. She curled into a ball and sobbed her heart out, in the process forcing Hinata to let go of her.

"No, please. No more! I don't wanna see anymore! I don't wanna be here!" she screamed, hugging her knees tighter to her.

As if the outburst was a signal, Nina dropped to the floor and cried as well. Tom, surprised, could only rub her back comfortingly as his mind raced with what to do next. Both didn't look like they had the strength to continue further; they had given up and refused to move.

"Please don't cry. We have to keep going," Hinata coaxed, gently shaking Mary's shoulders.

Mary refused to acknowledge her and only sobbed harder. With each second that passed by, the Titans were creeping closer to them. One step, two step... If they didn't hurry, it would be the end of them. Hinata could feel the vibrations in the ground increasing, a sign of the Titans approaching. The closest wasn't far from them now, it would only take a few minutes for it to catch up to them.

With her decision made, Hinata stood and pulled Mary up with her. Mary pulled against her, refusing to stand, but with Hinata's strength she was no match. "Come on, get up!" she yelled at them. It was loud; harsh. But it was necessary. "If you guys just lay here crying you will die! You'll be eaten by those Titans! You don't want that, do you?"

They didn't respond.

Tom stared at her questioningly, a warning in his eyes that said she was being too harsh with them. She only spared him a brief glance before focusing back on the twins.

"Stand up I said," she repeated, even harsher this time.

Mary immediately stood on shaky legs, giving a squeal in fear at the harsh tone used. Nina followed right behind her, using Tom to help her up. Apparently, at this moment Hinata was much scarier than the Titans.

"Listen, I want you to run and run as fast as you can. Don't look back. Don't look at anyone. Just keep running and make sure to stay with each other. If you find a soldier then try to stick with them. Ask them to help you. They'll probably lead you straight to the boats. Get on one and escape."

"A-and you...?" Nina questioned shakily, realizing that she hadn't mentioned herself once in her speech.

"I'm gonna stay."

The three let out a sound of distraught at the proclamation. She smiled down at the twins, patting their heads in reassurance. "You guys won't be able to fight them. I'll buy you some time to get away."

"What? No! No, you can't! You can't leave us!" Mary hugged Hinata tightly, desperate to keep her here and with them.

"I have to," she said. Looking back, she noticed the Titan after them speeding up, its eyes looked onto them and a lustful smile on its face. Hinata pulled away from Mary, kneeling down so that she was more eye-level with the girl. "Don't worry, I'll be fine. Just go with Tom and get to the boats. Once I'm done with them, I'll catch up. I promise."

At this, she held out a pinky to show she was serious. Mary stared at it in uncertainty, struggling to decide whether she should or not.

"Mary, please. We don't have much time. You need to get away with your brother and sister," Hinata said.

At the sight of the Titan, Mary squeaked and intertwined her pinky with the blunette's. "Come back to us," she said, sniffling and using her other arm to wipe the tears.

Hinata nodded, "I will. It's a promise."

Standing up, she pushed Mary over to Nina and Tom. She and Tom exchanged a look of understanding and she gave him a small smile to hopefully relieve some of his worry. He looked ready to protest but she stopped him, "I'll be fine."

He nodded reluctantly. "Be safe. Don't break your promise. If you do, I'll kick your ass."

"One more thing." Hinata lifted the side of her long skirt and untied her weapons' holster from around her thigh. Throwing it at the boy, he fumbled to catch it. At his questioning look, she explained, "Use it if you need it. It contains kunais and shuriken, those small sharp weapons I showed you a while back. They might not be much, but it'll help fight off anything that gets in your way."

He nodded and hastily tied it around his thigh much like Hinata had.

The blunette didn't linger much longer. Tearing off the bottom half of her skirt for better mobility, she turned on her heels and ran back to where the Titan was fast approaching with her Byakugan activated. Tom and the twins did as she ordered. He pushed the two forward, holding tightly tot heir hands as he dragged them behind him at a fast pace the two could barely keep up with. Like she told them, they did not turn back, despite the strong urge to. They kept forward, only looking forward. Ignoring the screams of the people and the stomps of the Titans, they just ran.

Hinata allowed herself a small smile in relief. They'd be okay. They'd live. She wouldn't allow for any one of them to get hurt. Even if it meant dying, she would make sure that they were fine.

_I don't have to kill the Titan, just distract it long enough for the three to get away, _she thought.

But...

Should she leave it alone, it would target others. If she killed it now then it wouldn't go after anyone else. There'd be one less Titans terrorizing the place.

_But I don't know if I should do it. _Her hand rested on her stomach, the fabric still wet from Mary's tears. If she tried to kill it, she wouldn't just be risking her own life. The life of her unborn child could be lost. And unlike her, it was fragile, even to the smallest of touches could hurt it. _I can't let it touch me, and I can't get hit by anything. I won't be able to last for too long._

She focused on the Titan just ahead of her. It was a tall one, standing at about fourteen feet if Hinata's estimate was correct. Shaggy brown hair fell over its head and its brown eyes were hauntingly empty. Blood leaked from its mouth and with her eyes she saw a part of an arm from its last victim lodged in its teeth, the end of the bone splintered and poking out for all to see. Despite the malicious grin on its face, Hinata couldn't detect any emotion within its eyes. As if...

As if it wasn't even alive.

Like a walking corpse; a puppet made to attack and kill.

That, for Hinata, was a little unnerving.

She shuddered, reminding herself that she had to face it for the kids.

It wasn't as if she was so petrified of it she wanted to escape. No, it was her shinobi instincts kicking in. _Fall back and observe the enemy. Find its weakness first before attacking, _it whispered to her. She ignored it. She couldn't fall back, not when people were getting massacred. Sasuke would've hit her over the head for her recklessness, but she had to help all these people.

Not just Tom and the twins.

If defeating even one Titan would mean another's survival, she'd do it.

With a push of her legs, Hinata flew in the air, twisting her body to flip over the hand that shot to grab her. Concentrating her chakra to her hands, they lit up, glowing a transparent blue. Swift as a cobra, Hinata stabbed at the pressure points in its arms. Using the hand as leverage, she pushed herself back and just out of reach of its other hand, landing with a soft _thud _on the ground below and stirring up a small cloud of dust.

_I've disabled the use of its fingers, _she thought.

It was strange, though.

She could see the points, the tenketsus that allowed chakra to be released out of the body, but they weren't _activated. _Like a civilian's, its chakra pathway system wasn't in use. Never had been. Chakra ran through the coils, but there was so little of it, it could never be used to perform any techniques. The Titan was barely generating any chakra, only enough to keep it alive.

_These Titans can't use chakra at all, _she realized.

Hinata jumped to the left, easily avoiding another jab at her, and landed on the roof of a building. Her eyes widened when she noticed the tenketsus she had struck just a few seconds ago already healing. _It has high-speed healing abilities?_

She couldn't believe it. What should have taken at least a few hours, if not a day or two, was healed in the span of less than thirty seconds!_  
><em>

_It's like with Naruto-kun, _she thought.

If this creature's healing was anything like her Hokage's, then this would be a lot trickier than she had first thought.

The Titan sent a barrage of punches and grabs at her, which she dodged with relative ease. Her hair swept about and, if not for her Byakugan, would have momentarily blinded her many times. She hadn't fought in a while with her hair down - hadn't even fought at all - and it took a little effort to adjust once more. Patting her thigh in search of her kunais, Hinata remembered that she had given the weapons to Tom.

The realization left her a little lost on what to do next.

**_"I guess I have no other choice," _**Hinata spoke in her native language.

Concentrating chakra to her hands once more, this time in a bigger quantity, blue chakra enveloped her arms once more. It was quick to build and the eerie glow soon formed a shape. Two lion heads glared at her hands and their teeth bared in a silent roar. **"Juho Soushiken."**

With a mighty swing of her fist, it collided with the Titan's head. The boulder that was her attack hit spot on and the tiger dug its fangs through the monster's hair and skin and into its skull. Squeezing closed as it pressed down, Hinata heard a sickening crunch as the Titan's skull caved in and her fist dug into its brain. With a splash, the gooey matter was crushed under the pressure and burst in the air, spilling its contents onto Hinata.

Blood sizzled and burned at her face, she could feel her hand heating at the unnaturally high temperatures of the Titan. She was quick to pull away, as if her hand was set on fire and melting off from the extreme heat, and pushed herself off the Titan, watching it give a cry and fall head first into a nearby house, crushing it under the force of its fall.

**_"It's so hot,"_** Hinata remarked, wiping the blood and other remnants off her face.

Smoke rose from the wound she dealt to the Titan's head and the creature lay still, its hands twitched lightly before even that movement came to a halt. Even from where she was she could feel the heat and she took a step back in response.

Hinata gave a sigh of relief at seeing it dead and turned away. A hand pressed against her stomach and she gave herself a quick check to make sure she was fine. Seeing that she was, she locked her gaze onto the three kids and her body automatically relaxed at seeing that they were okay. They were heading closer to a soldier, too!

She tensed, however, at a sudden realization.

...Titans. Lots and lots of Titans. And they were heading in the same direction as the three!

_I have to get to the three, _she told herself.

Hinata gasped suddenly and pulled her arms in front of her, making sure to cover her stomach and ignite her arms with chakra as something hard smacked into her, sending her flying. She grunted, doing a flip to right herself, and landed on the ground in a crouch. Her arms ached from the surprise attack, though nothing that she couldn't handle.

_I-Impossible! _Looking up at the offender standing over her with a lustful gaze, she found the Titan that she had killed. Only...

It was alive with no trace of the wound she had inflicted on him!

_It can't be! It should be dead. I killed it, _she thought.

Her eyes zoomed in on the wound she had inflicted to its head and was shocked to find that it was mostly healed. There was a small indent in the spot she had struck with its skull poking out from the hole, and the hair had yet to grow back. That and the surrounding blood was the only trace she could find that she had actually hit it, and even that was vanishing, only the red blotches remaining as a reminder.

It was healing! She had only averted her focus from it for a minute and already it was back on its feet. But how could that be? She had struck it right in the brain. That should have instantly killed it!

Was... was it immortal?

Hinata wasn't left any time to ponder on it. The Titan resumed its attack on her and she was forced to dodge the countless barrages. With each strike she felt her energy draining, her body becoming more and more fatigued. A bead of sweat rolled down her temple.

Its hand smashed into a house, the backlash sending glass and stone flying everywhere. She grit her teeth, twisting her body to avoid the debris. She was quick to jump into the air once her foot touched the ground and she searched for a way to defeat the creature in front of her.

If she didn't find a way to defeat this creature soon, she would die as well as all those other countless people. Already her body was beginning to give out. She couldn't go on for much longer. She needed a break.

"Ah!"

Hinata barely avoided a well-aimed punch at her from her blind spot. Her feet hit the ground a little too harshly and she rolled to decrease the impact. Another fist came crashing down at her and she rolled out of the way, using her arms to block the pieces of rock that shot at her. Blood burst from a cut at her arm, the result of a part of a shard nicking her just below the wrist.

Instead of one Titan, there were now three. All forming a messy circle around her, trapping her. To her right and behind a five meter Titan was another, this one of fourteen meters. That totaled four now. Two of which were a ten meter and a fourteen meter respectfully. The only way of escape she was left was through the air. The three - now four, blocked any other means.

Hinata dodged a sweep of another Titan's arm, moving about the small available space to hopefully confuse the enemy and get them to tire out. That is, if she didn't tire out first.

If she could just get on a rooftop, she might be able to get away. On the ground, she was an easy target to the Titans, especially the two smaller ones who were only a few meters taller than herself. Fighting on the roofs would eliminate two enemies. The smallest of the Titans wouldn't be able to reach her, though it would still be tricky to get away from the two other ones.

_At this rate I'm gonna be done for, _she thought.

She found an opportunity when the fourteen meter one struck at her. Jumping up from the ground and avoiding an attempt at her from the five meter one, the fourteen meter one punched the five meter one in the face, sending it flying as it could not withdraw its arm in time. It crashing into one of the already damaged buildings and Hinata landed on the fourteen meter's knuckles. She ran up the arm, quickening her speed with three pairs of eyes zoomed in at her.

_That's two down, for now._

Hinata watched as the ten meter one struck at the fourteen meter and pushed it back. Already sailing through the air, she was no where near the attack when it was delivered. Like dominoes, the taller one came crashing back first into the ground and dragging the other with it, its legs accidentally kicking it off balance.

The five meter Titan couldn't reach her and she took this time to leave. Knowing she had bought plenty of time for the four to escape, she ran at rapid speed away from the destruction.

_If I can just find soldier that knows how to defeat these guys, _she pondered.

One of them had to know how to kill the Titans. It was just logical. They had to know the Titan's weakness if they were out battling them a lot. If she could just learn it, she would be able to fight with them. At this rate she wouldn't be able to defeat them. She had to find someone. She needed to slay them.

_Though, _she took a few shaky breaths, trying to regulate her breathing, _I'm already exhausted even after just this much. I can't continue for much longer like this._

First things first, she had to get some of her strength back and get to the kids.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>For those of you who think I may have made my OC, Tom, OOC, please remember that he's still a child. Only twelve years old, not even a teen. He may act big, but even he can get scared.

Also, I'm conflicted on whether to kill any of my OCs or not. I know it's necessary, but I feel like such a jerk even thinking about it TT-TT


	9. The Fall of Shiganshina Part 2: Despair

**Author's Note: **I was listening to the OST Vogel im Kafig and Call Your Name while doing this. It was so hard to write this, I was choking up and had to wipe my eyes a couple of times to stop the tears. I was also listening to the first and second openings and endings, as well as The Reluctant Heroes. Why does the soundtrack in Attack on Titan/Shingeki no Kyojin have to be so good?

But other than that, I still think this chapter could have been more emotional. Or maybe it's just me :/

**Disclaimer: **I'm not sure why I'm doing this because I haven't done it for my other stories and I think it's pretty obvious that I don't own anything, but here goes. Shingeki no Kyojin/Attack on Titan is property of Hajime Isayama and Naruto/Naruto Shippuden is property of Masashi Kishimoto. I do not own the characters, setting, etc. that I may or may not use and are property of their respective owners. However, I do own the OCs that I may or may not add to the story.

**Warning: **I haven't edited this chapter yet so it's bound to be filled with mistakes. Also, lots of death and crying and, well... Just be prepared. I was trying to make it as intense as Shingeki no Kyojin. Key word: trying.

* * *

><p>Tom ran through the streets, his legs pushing him forward as fast as he could go and he pulled Nina and Mary behind him by the hands. His mind was blank; frozen and empty to any thoughts. All he could think of was Hinata's words echoing his mind, a broken record playing over and over again and driving his body forward. On autopilot, the adrenaline that pumped through his veins kept him going, ignorant to the growing pain in his lungs.<p>

Chaos rang everywhere. A dark melody played in the bright blue sky, a contrast to the bloody red of the ground. The chorus of screams, the beat of the crunches of bones and shattering of buildings reminiscent of the drums, and rhythm of the stomps that put all on alert.

It was all a song, a theme of the Titans and a nightmare to the living.

_Run, and run as fast as you can. Don't look back. Don't look to the side. Keep running. Escape, _those words were the only thing keeping him from breaking down there and then and crying.

Her words were the only thing that anchored him to the living words. Run and run he would, to escape this bloody hell and get out of here with his live still intact.

To their left a mother screamed as she watched her child ripped in half by the hands of a Titan, blood pouring from the little boy's midsection and innards looking ready to spill now that its container was opened. He was quick to be eaten, the crunches of his bones barely heard over the shrieking of the mother. She was soon devoured as well, following closely after her son and killed on the spot by another Titan.

To their right a seven year old child wept in grief and terror. His mother, halfway within the Titan's mouth, screamed of him to get away, hand outstretched towards him in a failed attempt to reach him and pushed him to run. Her head cut from her body, it crashed to the ground with a _thud _and rolled to the crying boy. He screeched at seeing his mother's eyes so lifeless, only for the tortured cry to come to an immediate halt as the same Titan stomped on the boy's form._  
><em>

The Titan walked off as if nothing had happened.

His own sisters screamed at the sight. Unrecognizable chunks of the boy stuck to the bottom of the Titan's foot, and the bloody splatter on the ground sickened the two. With a clear view of the grotesque sight the two looked ready to faint.

Despite his struggles, he could not help but look at the sight. He gasp and gave a small squeal in revulsion. He forced himself to look back forward and only increased his pace. The two Titans had yet to notice them, they had to get away now. He had averted his attention from the front, but not anymore. He wouldn't look back, he wouldn't stop. They would keep going.

Going and going and going until they reached their destination.

Until they were to safety.

They would live.

He jumped over a bloody corpse, another victim of the debris. His foot slipped on the blood of the guy's and he almost fell to the ground. Quickly righting himself, he continued on, pulling his sisters forward. Nina and Mary whimpered at the sight, but he did not allow them the pleasure of pondering further on it.

He ran and ran and ran, dragging them behind him. He wouldn't stop. Not now.

Going deeper within the city, he found attention drifting for the briefest of seconds at the marching Titans littered all around. Left and right, more and more were quick to be snatched and devoured. Most were quick to be eaten, some however were first toyed with. The one-sided massacre churned his stomach.

The twins suddenly screamed, but he blocked it out. Looking back forward, he did not stop. Probably another dead body they saw that horrified them. It was nothing.

They needed to keep running.

"-ther! Big brother stop! STOP!"

Tom yelped as he was pushed down to the ground, chin hitting the ground harshly and throbbing in pain. His sisters stood behind him, paying him no heed. They didn't even apologize for pushing him. Instead, they stared at the thing that had caught their attention.

Pushing himself up, he wiped his dirt-filled hands on his pants before using one hand to gingerly rub at his aching chin. Turning, he glared at the two. What could have been so important that they stopped him? They didn't have time for this! They needed to get away, and now. Titans were quickly approaching them!

"What the hell do you think your doin-"

The ground shook suddenly, almost making him lose his balance. Looking up at where the two were staring, he couldn't help but gasp as his eyes widened into saucers.

"T-T-Titan! There's a Titan!"

Mary screamed at the top of her lungs, shutting her eyes as tight as possible to block the image of the advancing monster steadily making its way towards them, blood dripping down its chin from the last victim it had eaten. Nina hugged her twin and the two held each other in a firm embrace, trembling in place. The titan was around thirteen to fourteen meters in height. Its eyes locked onto the trio, the drooling only seemed to increase and mix in with the blood. Teeth bared, a huge grin split its face and it gazed at them with lust. Closer and closer it was getting, its footsteps rumbling.

Unable to take anymore, Mary slid from Nina's grasp and fell to the floor on her rear. Urine gathered around her, forming a small pool as she peed all over the ground, unable to contain it in her fright. Nina looked conflicted on what to do: join her sister on the ground and weep or back away from her sister and maybe even run away. She didn't want to leave without her siblings but the idea was tempting.

She didn't have to think about it much longer as Tom grabbed her hand and Mary's and yanked them forward. They were forced to run once more, stumbling a little to adjust to the sudden pace. They yelled at him, one saying she didn't wanna go and the other saying he was going too fast. He only pushed his legs to run faster.

He would keep running. He wouldn't stop until they were safe, until they were away from the danger.

"Run faster! We have to get away," Tom screamed at them over his shoulder.

Despite their effort they were only slowing down. Fatigue was quick to settle on them, despite the fear and adrenaline that helped fight it off. The Titan was only getting closer and closer to them. At the back of his mind Tom knew that they were tired, that they wouldn't be able to continue for much longer and would fall from exhaustion if they didn't rest.

Right now, though, all he cared about was getting away. He had to get away. His lungs protested against this, but he would keep going. The twins would keep going as well.

He didn't hear a reply from either of them but the pace was kept steady. Looking back, he saw Nina and Mary struggling to keep pace, faces scrunched up in pain and breathing harshly. Their faces were turning a lovely shade of red at the effort they put in and dirt caked their beings in almost every inch. They looked ready to faint at any moment. They were already at their limit.

He mentally cursed.

_Hinata where are you? _Tears stung at his eyes, droplets flying into the air as he forced himself to continue. Until now, he had been able to keep it at bay with false hope. He had convinced himself that they'd be able to make it out alive but now? Now he wasn't sure. Would they really be able to get out of this hell with their lives still intact? He wanted so badly for it to be true, for them to really survive. He wanted to hope. But at the rate they were going out, it seemed impossible.

For a brief moment he shut his eyes, the image of Hinata's confident face as she told them she would protect them appearing in his mind. He could feel his resolve coming back, but it was no way strong enough for him to convince himself everything would be fine.

Through his hazy vision he made out another Titan, this one almost as tall as the one chasing after them. It stepped in front of their path, forcing them to stop or risk getting eaten.

_Damn it, another one, _he mentally cursed. He panted heavily and stared up at the beast that stood in the way.

It couldn't be.

This was it. They were all gonna die. Him, Mary and Nina. They were gonna get eaten, crushed in the jaws of a Titan and digested in its stomach. He tried hard to remember Hinata's words but the image of their deaths sent a chilling shudder through him, bringing with it a tremor of fear that shook him to his core.

Mary and Nina fell to their knees, giving a few whimpers and sniffles before full-blown crying once more. They bowed their heads, burying their faces within their hands as they sobbed their hearts out, all the while muttering incoherent words. Watching them, Tom couldn't help but feel ashamed. He was their big brother, he was supposed to have protected them. It was his job. Yet here he was, unable to do anything.

They were gonna get eaten. Gonna die before even reaching their teens. All because he was weak.

His legs finally gave out on him and he fell to his hands and knees. Small _splats! _sounded, his tears falling to the ground and the noise a mocking tone in his ear. His body trembled violently and he cursed once more.

He was weak. Weak and stupid. And cowardly as well. Titans were all around him, murdering others, and all he could do was cry. Was he really this powerless?

_"Listen, I want you to run and run as fast as you can. Don't look back. Don't look at anyone. Just keep running and make sure to stay with each other. If you find a soldier then try to stick with them. Ask them to help you. They'll probably lead you straight to the boats. Get on one and escape."_

_I'm sorry Hinata. I can't do anything. I'm scared. I'm scared of dying, and I'm scared of moving. I don't wanna get up. I don't wanna be here! _He released a cry of anguish, pounding his fist into the ground and ignoring the pain that accompanied the action.

They were all gonna die.

_"Tom don't say that! Snap out of it!"_

The twins screamed even louder as the Titans approached, only meters away from them now. He could feel the heat they emitted even from here. He could feel the the vibrations in the ground from its footfalls and it got his mind thinking back to the image he had conjured up of them all getting eaten. He shuddered; they were gonna die.

_"Listen Tom! No one's going to die!"_

No, they were gonna die. They were powerless against the Titans.

_"We're not going to die! I'll make sure of it, I promise this on my life. I will protect you guys. So get up. Stand up and let's run."_

* * *

><p>Hinata pumped chakra into her feet, pushing herself to hurry to the kids. They were in danger! Two Titans were onto them and a third approaching close behind. If she didn't get there quickly, they'd be eaten. She had to hurry. She had to save them. She won't stop until she's saved them.<p>

_Wait for me Tom... Nina... Mary... I'll get to you guys. I'll protect you._

She couldn't bear to witness another of her loved ones dying before her eyes. She may not have known them for long, but they were still important to her. Even if it meant dying, she'll protect them.

_Just wait for me._

* * *

><p>One of the Titans was almost on top of them. With no where to run, they could only wait for their anticipated death.<p>

**Thump.**

It wouldn't be long now.

**Thump.**

They were getting so much closer now.

Despair was all he could feel now.

A picture of Hinata's smiling face as she watched the three play made him suddenly gasped. That's right, she said she would protect them. She said she would make sure they all lived. She risked her life to make sure they were safe. How could he just be sitting here crying when she died protecting them?

_"Look, you're sisters are counting on you. If you're going to freeze up and cry, what do you think they'll do?"_

Looking behind him through the cloudy vision his tears brought, he found the two girls in the same position as him, crying as they too imagined their deaths. Shame hit him hard in the face, a slap so painful even the fear of getting eaten was nothing compared to it. His sisters needed him. They needed him to stay strong and to protect him. He had to protect them. Why was he just standing still and crying?

_"Listen, I want you to run and run as fast as you can. Don't look back. Don't look at anyone. Just keep running and make sure to stay with each other. If you find a soldier then try to stick with them. Ask them to help you. They'll probably lead you straight to the boats. Get on one and escape."_

_"I'm gonna stay. You guys won't be able to fight them. I'll buy you some time to get away."_

Hinata had risked her life to make sure they would live. The weak, no-backbone weird woman had no fear fighting the Titans, yet here he was crying.

He clenched his hands into tight fists, his nails digging into his skin and leaving crescent marks on his flesh, allowing blood to seep through. Gritting his teeth, he stood and glared at the Titan in front of him. It seemed puzzled by him and stopped, looking at him in confusion. Bringing his hand to the weapons pouch Hinata had given him, he dug in and grabbed a kunai by the handle.

_I don't know how to use it, _he thought, tightening his hold on the small blade and poised it in front of him, _but Hinata trusts me. Nina... Mary... I'll protect you. Just watch, we'll all get out of here together. We'll live!_

With a mighty cry he charged at the Titan. It was a foolish move to dive in head first at a powerful enemy, an enemy thought could easily rip him apart without much effort, but he didn't know what else to do. He had to defeat it. He had to win.

"I'll kill you!" he screamed.

_Sorry Hinata, I can't run. There's no where to. I'll stand strong just like you and fight. I'll kill this Titan and save us._

Mary screamed suddenly. He faltered and stumbled to his hands and knees, the tremor he felt through the ground causing him to lose his balance. Looking back, he could only gasp at the sight.

Another Titan, to the right of Mary and Nina, stomped on the building in front of him. The house crumbled at the force, a crash that followed piercing the air. Debris flew in all directions, and half a dozen of glass shards headed straight towards the twins.

"Nina! Mary!" Too far away from them, he could do nothing but watch and scream as it neared the two. He cried for them to get away, but it was too late.

_BAM!_

Two pairs of eyes widened as Nina jumped at Mary, her arms wrapped protectively around her to cover her from being hit. The two flew back, but they weren't fast enough to completely dodge. A shard of the broken window glass stabbed at Nina's calve and she cried in pain. Falling on top of her twin, she writhed on the ground, clutching as best she could to the wound. Blood ran into thin strips down her leg, gathering on the ground.

Tom screamed in fury and pushed himself to stand upright, intent on getting to his sisters. His actions were halted, however, as he was grasped in the Titan he was after and plucked off the ground. It held him tight in its hand, pinning his arms to his side and making them useless. He struggled fruitlessly in the Titan's grasp, attempting to free himself.

"Damn it! Let go of me, you fucktard! I'll kill you! Let me go-"

It's giant black eyes, so devoid of everything, stared straight through him and left him unable to finish his sentence. His heart skipped a beat and his breath hitched in his throat. Looking at a Titan's face from a distance was unpleasant, looking at it up close like this was damn right horrendous. He blanched, trembling in the Titan's firm hold. A lump that continued to grow in his throat made it hard for him to swallow.

Closer and closer the Titan pulled him. Its lips parted and yellow teeth were bared for all to see. The blood caked on its lips churned his stomach unpleasantly and he fought not to puke.

Mouth stretching to impossible lengths, Tom could feel its hot breath caressing his turned-pale skin, sending goosebumps all over his body. Saliva stretched across its mouth and the smell of blood and death invaded his senses. At that moment he froze. He shut his eyes as tight as he could, faintly wondering whether he'd be eaten whole or cut in half by its strong teeth.

From behind him he heard the two girls shriek, whether because he was going to get eaten or a different cause, he didn't know. All he could think about at his moment was that he was going to die.

A coward, even in his last moments.

Tears spilled from his eyes and he sniffed. They say that in one's last moments of life, their life flashes before their eyes. Now Tom knew exactly what that meant. All the good times, all the bad times, his memories displayed it all in his mind. From when he was five years old and his parents still alive, to when they were killed and he had to take care of Nina and Mary, and then to now. For as far as he could remember, he remembered.

He shuddered as he was pulled forward. In his ascend into the titan's mouth, he could not help but stare into the dark and burning abyss that was its mouth. His last memory would be getting eaten by a Titan. Figured his last memory would be an unpleasant one. He just wished that he had been able to live much longer. Long enough to be an adult, to maybe find a girl and get together with her. To kick some ass and to pound any guy who approached his sisters inappropriately into the ground.

He sniffed. All he wanted was to live just a little longer.

But here he would die.

_I'm sorry._

With a final scream he was tossed carelessly into the Titan's mouth. His hands hit the slimy tongue of the Titan's first before he went sailing straight down.

This was it.

He was done.

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><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>I'm a horrible human being to do this TT^TT

**_~Review~_**


	10. The Fall of Shiganshina Part 3: Goodbye

**Author's Note: **Wow is this chapter long. I think longer than my other chapters for this fic. I was rushing a little at the end to finish this chapter considering that I'm late, as well as it was getting long. Really long. I hope you guys don't mind if it seems cruddy and drawn out. I just wanted to get this out of the way and next chapter we'll be seeing the military. As well as the Survey Corps are going to be making another appearance soon.

**Disclaimer: **I'm not sure why I'm doing this because I haven't done it for my other stories and I think it's pretty obvious that I don't own anything, but here goes. Shingeki no Kyojin/Attack on Titan is property of Hajime Isayama and Naruto/Naruto Shippuden is property of Masashi Kishimoto. I do not own the characters, setting, etc. that I may or may not use and are property of their respective owners. However, I do own the OCs that I may or may not add to the story.

**Warning: **I haven't edited this chapter yet so it's bound to be filled with mistakes. I finished this all in one day and didn't go over it, so please forgive my cruddy work. I might come back to this chapter and edit it, but for now I'm leaving it as I'm tired and I still have to work on other things.

* * *

><p>The people's nightmare had now become a reality. With the wall breached, the Titans now had easy access to the city within. For ages they had waited for a chance to feast on the delicious flesh of a human's, or Hinata thought it be delicious if they were so persistent on devouring humans. They were merciless, snatching people left and right and devouring them just as quickly. There were some - or rather a lot - that liked to play with their squirming and ready to pee victims, giving them a savory death in the form of torture before eating - or even discarding the broken bodies after their playing. Others didn't seem to care as long as they could satisfy their lust and get their fill of small terrified beings that were humans.<p>

Now Hinata was never cruel. Well, not unless it was deemed by her necessary. Despite the strong urge inside that grew and grew like a balloon being pumped with air, she did not waver in her run. So badly she wished to stop, to run up to any Titan nearest to her and slam a chakra-filled palm into their chins. To be able to save the people trapped in their clutches and provide them safety.

However, it was impossible to do so, for various reasons.

For one, even if she were able to save the civilian, could she possible be able to keep them from being plucked from the ground and devoured by another passing Titan? Even if she was able to free the person from the Titan holding it firmly in its grasp, would she be able to fight the Titan long enough for person to get away? Or even prevent the Titan from getting its hands on the person again?

And what of the kids?

If she were to stop now, even for the tiniest of seconds, it could mean the very likely death of the kids she had grown to love and care for in these past few months. Should she try to save anyone close to her, it would come at a deathly cost.

She was a kunoichi; a fighter with vast experience despite her young age and knowledge in the arts of slaying and deception. Trained by her sensei and expectations placed on her by her family and many others in the village, it was her job, her duty to protect the innocent. To protect her fellow comrades from danger. Even if strangers, she was expected to risk her life in order to save civilians of Konoha from the wrath of war and battle.

She may not know these people, but she had come to think of this place as a sort of second... well, a sort of _home. _For close to four months she had spent here, learning of this place's culture and living within the safe confines of the walls which protected all its inhabitants. It may not have been Konoha, but she still felt a shred of loyalty to these people. Together she was trapped alongside them within these walls; she was pretty much the same as them.

Seeing them all in such agony churned her stomach unpleasantly and pulled at her heartstrings. Here she was, never faltering when seeing another person made victim by the Titans, her own selfishness pushing her forward and helping her ignore the desperate cries of the people. She had absolutely no right to call herself one of them, when she so easily abandoned them all.

All because of her selfish need to save three young kids which had wormed into her heart - as easy of a task it may be, she'd admit.

She was a horrible person. Selfish and cruel; but was she no different from everyone else to make loved ones top priority above everyone else? To ignore her teachings and conscious to abandon the majority for the minority.

And as she ran atop the rooftops of the almost perfectly lined houses, panting from the fatigue that sunk its sharp teeth into her and sending a bolt through her body that tempted her to stop and relax for even a moment, she could only think of how a despicable person she was being at the moment. She was favoring three lives over the hundreds of thousands in this confined city. But still, it did not stop her.

_I'm sorry. _She could only beg for forgiveness, the plead deaf to the ears of the tortured.

With a cry, she pushed herself forward. Too much strain she was going to put on her body, she knew. It wouldn't surprise her if she died in this battle. Ways of defeating the enemy eluded her; she could hear the taunting laugh, the mocking tone that sniped at her knowing she could not win this battle. However, she did not let this get to her. After the battle with her big brother that almost cost her life, she promised herself she would never give, even if all odds were stacked against her. She had carried out this pledge since then; she refused to give up like she had many times in her life. She had eluded death many times; was able to stare death in the face and laugh at its attempts at her.

...She had died more than once, and had been brought back just as many.

Maybe she had just been lucky those times. However, if she had learned one thing, it was that she should never give up, even in the face of danger. It had carried her so far, this will to continue. She had gotten so much stronger with the help of her friends. If she gave up so soon, she knew she would be disappointing not just herself, but many others as well.

She had faced obstacles just as hard as this - even harder before, and she had made it back alive. Why would this time be different? Because she was exhausted? Because her body couldn't take the strain it was usually able to?

No, she could not give up.

_Just wait for me, Tom, Mary, Nina, _she thought.

Just hold on a little longer. Wait until she got there. She would protect them. She wouldn't let anyone else she held dear to her disappear from her life.

_I'm coming._

* * *

><p>Contrary to the devastating destruction down below, the sun beamed its bright smile almost tauntingly. The few white balls of cotton clouds moved at a leisure pace, unbothered by the chaos that threatened the lives of human beings. Even the gentle birds were ignoring the screams of agony, deciding that involving themselves in the affairs of the Titans would not bode them well. So sunny was it out, it was almost painful how such a nice day was spent in pain and terror.<p>

Nina lay on the harsh stone ground, almost motionless with the exception of the agony-influenced shaking her body made. The ground scratched at her already-damaged body, filling the exposed flesh with barely noticeable scrapes as she clutched loosely to her weeping wound. Despite the physical pain that she felt, it was nothing compared to the despair that gripped at her heart.

Eyes glazed over in defeat, hope of escaping from this gory scene long gone and still fleeing from her. Locked onto the form of her brother in the grasp of one of the three Titans surrounding them, her mind was nothing but a fuzzy blank, unable to think in its frozen state.

Tom, the big and strong brother she had come to love and admire with all her heart, trembled in the grip of a Titan, completely paralyzed in his fear. She had thought of him as the most strongest person in the world, who'd always protect them and make sure they were safe and sound. He was always there for them. Always doing whatever he could. Confident almost to the point of annoying, he wasn't ashamed to brag of his growing skills in fighting.

Whenever she could, she would always hide behind a tree or wherever she could, watching her brother practicing. She'd watch with wide eyes that sparkled in astonishment at seeing his strength and resolve. To her, he was the greatest big brother ever, and definitely the strongest. He could beat any bad guy and keep them safe.

She believed this with all her might.

But yet, with the Titan's invasion, her strong and courageous big brother was reduced to a pile of terror. Even when he found his resolve, it would pour out of him soon after. Her big brother, the hero that he was to her, was nothing to these monsters. He couldn't beat them, couldn't fight them; he couldn't do anything against them.

Faintly she wondered how this could have happened. Everything was going so well for them, they were have tons of fun (with the exception of the Survey Corps incident). Hinata was with them, and Tom readily involved himself in any games they suggested. This was supposed to be a fun trip that the four would be able to enjoy. They were supposed to be having a blast; Tom would be teasing them all, Hinata would be her kind self and lightly scold them when they did something or encouraged them when they were having fun and keeping out of trouble, and her and Mary would be dragging the two wherever to see all the new sights.

Why was this happening?

Through the haze that covered her mind within its firm grasp, Nina cursed the Titans for appearing. For a hundred years they were all safe within the walls. When she'd first heard about them a long time ago she was scared of the idea that they would find a way to come inside, and Tom had assured her that it wouldn't happen because the walls kept them save.

And now that exact situation was happening now.

At the back of her mind Nina registered the screams of Mary, who while had been screaming for Tom ever since he was picked up by the Titan, had only increased in volume. She was yelling something, but Nina couldn't make out the words. Her attention was solely on Tom and his beyond-shaken form.

_Big brother... _The call was silent, she could barely even hear it in her mind.

Her swollen eyes teared up even further and she sniffed, only gripping her leg tighter despite the bolt of burning agony that barely allowed her to contain her scream, hissing at the throbbing ache. The ground vibrated and jostled her, and she finally allowed her gaze to move from Tom's form to rest on her sister's. A sound of distress escaped her parted lips and she felt her stomach drop in dread when her sister wasn't there.

"Ma..." The ache in her throat stopped her from saying her twin's name.

Suddenly she was more aware, the fog in her mind thinning out to allow her the pleasure of thought. Nina could still hear her screams, but where was she? Where was her sister? Pushing her upper body off the ground, she moaned in agony and looked around for her twin. Tom was caught in a Titan's grasp, Mary couldn't be either!

Something slapped into the ground around her, what looked like giant fingers trapped her inside the makeshift cage. Before she could even scream, the digits pulled towards her and she was suddenly in the grasp of a Titan. The instantaneous pressure on her leg had the glass embedded into her leg digging further into the flesh and bone and she cried out in pure agony, the tear leaking a heavier stream of red liquid.

"Nina! Tom!"

Nina's head snapped to the sound and her breath hitched in her throat at spotting Mary in the third Titan's iron grip. Her screaming never seized and she squirmed in the Titan's hold, shaking her head left and right as she used all her might to get out of its hand, but with no luck.

"Mary!" Nina screamed for her twin, wishing nothing more than to help her out.

Why was this happening?

_Please, make it stop! I don't want this. I want it to go away. Please, stop... _She sniffled, shutting her eyes tight and willing for herself to wake up. This was all a dream, it had to be one! This just couldn't be happening!

_Hinata! Hinata, where are you? Please, help us. I don't wanna be here, _she screamed within her head.

With another squeeze of its hand, the Titan that held her pulled her up towards his mouth and opened it wide. Nina's stomach turned at the unpleasant sent that filled her nostrils abruptly. Peaking her eyes open, she gasped when she saw thick and yelled teeth. The horribly lined row of teeth loomed over her form eerily, at any moment ready to come down. Her heart skipped a beat and eyes widened. At that moment, everything seemed to stop, to freeze. The beat of her heart was excruciatingly slow in her ears, despite how rapidly it beat.

A blood-curling scream escaped her lips and she shut her eyes, now more than ever wishing to wake up from this hellish nightmare.

.

.

.

Nina slowly opened her eyes, fear gripping at her chest and biting its cold sharp teeth into her heart. Was she dead? Was this nightmare over? She blinked a few times, bemused at coming in contact with her long brown hair swishing about in front of her and the gentle caress of the air on her hot skin. The ground also seemed to be moving. There was something pressed against her back and stomach as well.

The brunette's heart drummed in a fast rhythm inside her chest, the beat loud in her ears. She hissed at the forgotten pain that came from her wound and shot throughout her body, reminding her that the glass was still inside her calve. This was definitely not a dream. Unconsciously leaning into the warm and comforting touch, Nina looked to her savior and couldn't help but let out a gasp as blue invaded her vision. Her gazed moved from the silky strands to the ivory skin coated with dirt and to the lilac eyes narrowed as it stared off at something she couldn't see.

"H-H-Hinata!"

Startled, Nina craned her neck at the familiar voice, though could not spot the face so identical to her own. Something shifted behind her and Nina was slow to process that it was her twin that was pressed against her back. Looking back up at Hinata, she blinked to make sure she wasn't really imagining it as the woman sent her and her twin an apologetic look, relief swimming as well in her blank eyes.

"Sorry," was all she said.

Hinata's feet touched the ground and she crouched slightly to soften the impact. Putting down Mary first, she worked carefully not to jostle Nina's wound. The action brought a new wave of pain that racked her body. She whimpered, her hands immediately shooting to the wound, and she gave a small hiss as the glass made a small tear in one of her fingers.

"Tom! Where's big brother?" Nina demanded, remembering that he was in trouble.

Beside her, Mary snapped out of her frozen state and looked around in desperation, hoping to find her brother as Nina did the same. "B-b-b-big b-br-brother was in t-rouble. A-a-a T-Titan had him and he... he..."

Mary was cut off by the warm and reassuring hand that grabbed her shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze to calm her down. "Don't worry," Hinata told her, "he's fine. Sorry, I had to get him first because he was just about to be killed, but he's okay now. Look." Hinata gestured with her head to the still-shaken boy that sat not far away behind them.

Immediately Mary shot up from the ground and ran to her brother, forgetting about everything else as only relief for him being safe filled her. The two other females watched her go, Nina wishing she could do the same but unable to because of her leg. She wanted to see for herself if Tom was really alright. Looking up at Hinata, she still couldn't believe that she was still here, still alive and now with them.

"I apologize," she was genuinely sorry as she spoke to Nina. "I wish I had gotten here earlier to help you. I got a little preoccupied with those other Titans. I," she trailed off, leaving her sentence unfinished.

Hinata shook her head and looked back at her. "Come on, we have to get you and your siblings out of here. You need to get to safety and especially, your wound needs to get treated. I wish I could help, but I'm afraid that I'm beginning to tire," she said.

"Y-you're coming with us, right?" Nina asked hesitantly, obviously not wanting to be separated from the blunette once more.

Hinata shook her head sadly. "No, sorry. I can't. I still have to fight the Titans and make sure you guys are okay," she told her. The blunette looked to the side and Nina followed her gaze to see that Hinata was staring at the three Titans who had come so close to killing them all.

Nina gulped.

They were beginning to make their way to the four.

"I'll be fine," Hinata assured her, seeing her troubled expression. "You guys are too. I was able to fight out those other Titans that were coming after you guys, right? I'll beat them again," she was sounding so confident, that Nina felt herself believing in those words.

Still, these were Titans. The big and scary monsters who had already killed so many and even made freeze in fear. It's true that Hinata made it out of those Titans' grasps, but did that really mean that she would be okay? Her eyes squinted, the green orbs looking up and down Hinata's form. Hinata didn't look like she had been hit or hurt in anyway. Her clothes and hair were a little disheveled, and there was dirt covering a lot of her, but she looked fine.

_But she's panting, _Nina noted.

Her breathing was quiet but Nina could still hear it. Hinata seemed to be struggling with something, and Nina could only guess that she was tired. She did say earlier that she was tiring and so she must be tired. She had just been fighting a lot of Titans, after all. Nina wouldn't be surprised at all.

"A-are you sure you're gonna be okay?" Nina asked, worrying her bottom lip.

Hinata nodded. "Come on," she said, standing up, "you guys have to get going."

The blunette gripped under Nina's armpits and carefully pulled her up. Nina was forced to let go of her wound and her bloody hands grabbed at Hinata's arm for support. She grit her teeth, trying hard not to cry out. She had been doing so fine not to show that she was in pain to Hinata, but being moved was really making it hard for her. She refused to look weak in front of Hinata. Hinata already had so much to worry about and do, Nina refused to be a burden to her.

"It's okay to show that you're in pain," Hinata whispered to her.

Nina looked up, confused as to how she could tell. Had she been reading her mind?

Hinata allowed a small smile to her lips. "You're always trying to be brave, I know that you're trying to hide your pain from me," she stated with a bit of amusement. "But you know, if I was in your place and had glass stuck in my leg, I would be crying. It really hurts, right?"

Nina nodded hesitantly.

"Listen, it's alright to show that your hurting. I know that you don't want to worry anyone, but you shouldn't hold it in. Crying doesn't make you weak, it just shows that you've been strong for too long. You're already strong, stronger than a lot of people that I know. It's not easy to keep quiet with an injury as bad as yours, you know. I'm honestly very proud of you."

The way she said it gripped at Nina's heart. She could feel the tears that prickled at her eyes. Her body trembled in Hinata's hold and she bit her bottom lip to stop herself from crying even more than she had today. Hinata was so strong and Tom was just amazing when it came to bravery, and yet she was crying. Hinata may say that it was alright to cry, but she'd always been told that crying made you weak.

_And I'm weak, _she thought.

All through today she kept crying and crying and crying. She didn't do anything useful in the least and Tom had to drag her around to keep her still alive. If she wasn't so scared, maybe they wouldn't have even been in this mess. She was just dragging everyone down.

Hinata sighed at the expression she made and lifted her up into her arms, being careful with her leg. The sudden action got Nina gasping in surprise and she gripped harshly at the vest Hinata wore to keep herself from saying anything. Hinata quickly made her way to where Mary and Tom were sitting, making sure to keep an eye on the Titans around them. She stopped in front of the two, who barely noticed her approach, and held out a hand for Tom to take, who still looked shaken from almost being eaten.

"Come on, you guys really need to get out of here. You can stand Tom, right?" she asked.

He nodded almost automatically, his brain seemingly still processing what was happening. Looking at her hand, he hesitated before taking hold of it and letting her help him to his feet. Stumbling, he quickly balanced himself and looked up at the blunette. Beside him, Mary took hold of his hand and pushed herself up, inching even closer to him seeking his warmth and comfort.

"Do you think you can carry Nina on your back? She can't walk with that wound of hers," Hinata said.

The blunette set the girl down on her rear and took hold of her foot, her eyes squinted on the large glass still stuck in her leg. Looking at the girl, she sent her an apologetic look, "I'm gonna pull out this glass and it's going to hurt. Do you think you can bare it?"

Nina nodded, her eyes glazed with fear and apprehension.

"Right." Quickly and carefully, Hinata pulled out the glass, making sure to be not jostle the wound any further. It was a little tricky, the glass looked ready to break in pieces and the bone didn't seem to want to let it go. Taking the glass out, Hinata threw it away, listening to the girl give a cry and her brother immediately kneeling at her side and gripping her hand for comfort. With it gone, Hinata ripped off a good chunk of her shirt and expertly tied it around the wound.

"Now that that's taken care of, you guys have to go," she told them, quick to get down to business. "There's a soldier about a two hundred feet away from him. Do you think you can carry her all the way there?" she asked Tom.

He nodded. "Y-yeah, it shouldn't be too hard. Are you coming with us?"

"No, I'm gonna stay behind and stall the Titans. You guys run as fast as you can away from here. Once I'm done, I'll make my way to you," she said the last part at seeing them all ready to protest. She smiled, one of reassurance, "I'll be fine. I fought off those last Titans, I can fight off these ones. I promise, I'll meet up with you again."

"But you're in no shape to fight," Tom protested.

"I'm fine," she told him.

He didn't listen. "Fine my ass. I can tell that you're tired. I don't know how you made it here alive, but you won't be able to fight them off again!" he yelled.

Nina knew that his concern for her well-being wasn't the only reason he didn't want her to leave. Like Nina, and she was sure like Mary, Tom didn't want Hinata to leave them again. The fact that she had made it back to them alive gave them comfort and assurance that they wouldn't become prey to the Titans. Their hopes were returning once more and if she left, Nina knew that she wouldn't be able to face another Titan again. She didn't want Hinata to leave. As much as she wanted to believe in Hinata, the idea of her not coming back to them scared her beyond measure.

_What if Hinata doesn't come back to us? _The question left her heart aching.

Nina knew that known of them wanting Hinata to leave. What if she couldn't keep her promise and ended up dying? The first time was hard, this time would be unbearable. Nina wouldn't be able to wait to see if she was fine. She wanted to stay with Hinata. To stay with her m-

Hinata smiled suddenly. "I'm a proud kunoichi of Konoha. I've fought even harder battles than this. I'll be fine!" she sounded so confident, Nina almost believed her.

Almost.

"B-but I don't want you to leave!" Mary yelled.

Nina nodded with her twin, looking up pleadingly at Hinata.

Briefly Hinata's lilac orbs moved to the corners of her eyes before falling back on them, the smile suddenly becoming tighter and more strained. Nina didn't even have to look, she could feel it in the vibrations of the ground, could see it in Hinata's eyes.

The Titans were closing in on them.

"Please don't leave," Nina begged.

Hinata let out a breath and closed her eyes, her head lowered as she shook her head. "I'm sorry, I can't. Tom," she looked up at the boy, "you understand at least, don't you?"

He nodded grimly, sneaking a glance at the coming Titans before giving a sigh of defeat. Looking up at him, Nina could swear she saw tears brimming in his eyes. What he said next made her heart drop, "W-we'll leave you here."

"Tom!" Mary let out before Nina could.

The two looked at their brother in disbelief, and he looked away from them, what looked like shame dancing in his green orbs.

"If we don't go, we'll die," his voice cracked with the words. "We have to leave. Hinata's the only one..." he choked on his words and he sounded like he was crying now, "she's the only one that can fight them!"

"Tom-"

"I cant do it! I can't fight them!" he screamed, startling the girls. "That's why... that's why we have to leave. Why Hinata has to stay back," with each word, it felt as if Nina was getting slapped. It was the truth, but hearing Tom say it out loud only hurt more. They couldn't take on these monsters. They couldn't do anything against them.

Why was this happening?

He continued, slamming a fist to the ground, "I'm weak! I can't protect you guys! So we have to get away... I want to protect you, so we have to leave. Hinata... she... she has to stay behind..."

Hinata gave his shoulder a comforting squeeze, pushing him back slightly and waiting until he looked up at her before speaking: "You're not weak, Tom. You're very strong. Anyone else wouldn't have made it this far. You have to believe in yourself." She stood, sending them another smile that Nina believed was more fake than true. "I'll be fine. Go on and get out of here. If you guys hurry, you should be able to catch up to the soldier."

"But Hinata-"

Mary was cut off by the sudden shaking in the ground and the loud smash that echoed in her ears. Looking up and to the side, they gasped at seeing a Titan looming over them, the same hungry grin still on its face as it lustfully stared at them. Its hand reached for them and, quick to react, Hinata stepped in its way to the kids and slammed a glowing fist into its palm, sending it stumbling back and crashing into another Titan that was just behind him.

"Go, now!" she ordered, looking over her shoulder.

Tom was the first to snap out of daze and he quickly pushed Nina on his back, his arms wounding around her thighs and he stood. Using one hand, he pulled Mary to her knees and pushed her to run. Despite his fear, he paused and looked back at Hinata. "Remember your promise!" he yelled.

"Right, now get going," she said.

Tom nodded and, hesitating for just a moment, turned and ran to where she told them to go. Once more Nina was forced to part with Hinata. She worried her bottom lip, watching as Hinata charged at the Titans with an overwhelming fear gripping at her heart. Hinata would make it out of this, she had to believe in her. Hinata was strong, even stronger than her big brother. She was able to defeat a lot of Titans and protect them, she could do it again. Nina just had to believe in her.

But life was cruel.

It took every ounce of her being not to cry there and then. Gripping firmly to her brother's shoulders, she forced herself to look away. She had to be strong and believe, she reminded herself. Even Tom believed in her and she knew that he didn't want to leave her behind. They all didn't want to go without her, but they had to.

Nina may not be as strong as Hinata or Tom, but she would keep strong. This time she won't freeze and she won't cry.

"Be careful. Please... mother."

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>Wow, I'm surprised at how many don't want Tom to die. I thought a lot of you were annoyed with him and would love to see him dead. I guess I'm not too surprised that most of you guys prefer the twins to die, seeing as how I didn't put too much focus on them and instead on Tom and Hinata. I know I shouldn't have, but I almost laughed a couple of times when I read that some of you would prefer if Mary died.

Also, I hope you guys don't mind, but I'd just like to give a quick response to one of my reviewers. Since the reviewer is a guest, I can't PM them, so I'll do it here (even if it's not exactly allowed)

**To anima: **I'd just like to remind you that these twins are only 10 years old. Even if they live out by themselves with Tom, that doesn't necessarily mean that they'll known all about the world. Tom has always kept them safe and so, while there is the possibility of rape and human trafficking and many other bad things, they've never really dealt with this problem. Anything bad that could have happened to them Tom dealt with. They're rather innocent.

And that's all I've got to say. I hope I wasn't being harsh, but I thought I'd say this, or rather type this.

Thank you to those who reviewed! I love you all! Here's a cookie *hands out cookies*

_**~Review~**_


	11. Imprisoned Part 1: Interrogation

**Author's Note: **Sorry this is late, but school's been a bully to me with its ton load of homework and I've also been trying to update my other stories (and failing). I'll try to be better, but I make no promises. It is hard to balance writing and life, which I'm sure other writers can relate to.

**Disclaimer: **I'm not sure why I'm doing this because I haven't done it for my other stories and I think it's pretty obvious that I don't own anything, but here goes. Shingeki no Kyojin/Attack on Titan is property of Hajime Isayama and Naruto/Naruto Shippuden is property of Masashi Kishimoto. I do not own the characters, setting, etc. that I may or may not use and are property of their respective owners. However, I do own the OCs that I may or may not add to the story.

**Warning: **I haven't edited this chapter yet so it's bound to be filled with mistakes. I finished this all in one day and didn't go over it, so please forgive my cruddy work. I might come back to this chapter and edit it, but for now I'm leaving it as I'm tired and I still have to work on other things.

* * *

><p><em>The sense of death wrapped around her lithe form, a blanket tied too tightly around her person suffocating her. The smell of corpses overwhelmed her senses and she looked up at the looming mouth of the giant. Teeth bared, mouth opened wide in preparation for a feast. She shuddered, unable to move in her paralyzed state. Her arms hanging limb at her sides and legs that could barely support her, she panted in an act to recover her breath and hopefully, her strength.<em>

_The yellowing teeth jerked towards her and she strained to keep her eyes open. Without her consent, the world suddenly went dark, the lights turned off and leaving her blind to everything around her. The hot breath that burned at her skin warned her of the danger and she knew, at that moment, she was finished._

Hinata gasped, jolting awake with a start and panting heavily in cold sweat. Her head spun violently, a washer turned on spinning its contents in a cycle. She gripped her forehead lightly and blinked a few times, fighting off the nausea that bared its nasty fangs at her. With quick and easy breaths, she slowly composed herself and calmed her racing heart which threatened to pop out of her rib cage.

_I don't... _The woman tilted her head up and searched her surroundings in confusion.

Hinata's noise wrinkled at the mucky room, the smell of dust and dirt assaulting her noise and forcing her to fight off another wave of nausea. It was dark and any normal person would have trouble seeing inside, though her eyes were easily able to pick up any obvious details. A small light filtered into the room through iron bars, providing barely any help in seeing inside. Spiderwebs lined the corners of the room and if she looked hard enough, she could see the little critters dangling from their webs.

Her brows furrowed as she took in her surroundings, confused as to where she was. Looking down at her hands, she barely contained the gasp as her eyes made contact with cool metal wrapped firmly around her wrists and ankles. Her eyes trailed down the chains and stopped at the wall where it started. Moving all limbs, she listened intently to the familiar clanking of the chains and cringed at the offensive objects.

_This looks like a prison or something, _she thought.

Digging deep within the depths of her mind, Hinata's knitted her brows close together in concentration as she searched her memories for any clues as to how she had gotten here. The last memory she possessed right before this was her passing out just as a Titan prepared to make a snack out of her. She shuddered at the familiar sense of dread and death and the flash of yellowing teeth looming over her fatigued form.

If she had to guess, she would say that she got saved by a nearby soldier and dragged all the way here, wherever here was, while she was unconscious. She remembered seeing a few nearby soldiers with her Byakugan, so one of them must be the one to find her.

_I'm not sure if I should be thankful or not. If I'm in a cell, then they probably think I'm an enemy or something, _she pondered.

If that were the case, she had to wonder what it was that she did wrong to end up in a cell. She didn't remember breaking any laws and she had been helping them fight against the Titans. She might not have been doing a very good job, but she had tried. So why was she in here?

She sighed; she only wished that she had the answers to all her questions. Shaking her head, Hinata reminded herself that right now she had another, more important question that needed to be answered, that could be answered. Concentrating her chakra into her eyes, she took a deep breath and activated the Byakugan, ignoring how her eyes burned from overuse.

_I'm gonna have to let my eyes rest for a while after this, _she noted, wincing slightly.

A small, barely there chakra signature caught her attention, burning with a weak light. She placed a hand over her stomach, rubbing it lovingly and a smile graced her features. Her eyes softened in relief and her body relaxed from its stiff form. Good, it was still there. Hard to believe, but she was happy that she hadn't killed her unborn child yet.

Deactivating her Byakugan, Hinata wrapped her arms gingerly around her stomach and pulled her knees towards her chest. She leaned back, her spine making contact with the cool stone walls littered with dust and grim. A shudder crawled down her spine but she ignored the dirty surface, instead closing her eyes and allowing herself a small moment to herself.

The thumping of footsteps and the heavy creaking followed by a slam of the door broke Hinata from her moment and she fluttered her eyes open. Tilting her head up, her eyes came upon a tall man with piercing eyes. He wore the standard uniform that the police wore and the emblem on his chest was that of... a horse with a horn on its head? He didn't look like those other policemen Hinata had seen looking over the walls.

_Which branch of the police is he in? _she wondered.

Without so much as a greeting, the man spoke in a cutting voice. "It's good that you're awake. I'm here to ask you some questions." Hinata finally noticed the clipboard in his hand which he held up, his other hand grasping a pen.

Hinata's brows furrowed.

"As you may know, I am Nile Dok, Commander of the Military Police. What is you're name?" he began with an introduction and a simple question.

Well that answered the question. The blunette frowned thoughtfully. She had heard that name before, not his name but about Military Police. If she remembered correctly, Tom had said that they were in charge of guarding the king. He also didn't have a very good view of them, by his bitter tone and derisive words, calling them a "bunch of stinking pigs with three foot poles up their asses."

Hinata's head perked up suddenly and she inhaled a sharp breath. Tom. Tom. Tom. Where was he? Were him and the twins safe? She recalled them heading to the nearby soldier and for how long she had distracted those three Titans, they should have reached them. But were they fine? Did they get to the boats and escape safely? She couldn't believe that she had forgotten about them!

Hinata unconsciously let out a groan at her own forgetfulness. She was so stupid, only thinking about the baby. When she had seen them so close to that policeman she had allowed herself a small relief in the midst of battle, and that small relief had gotten her to forget about the three. She really wanted to go see them right now, to make sure that they had made it out alive and were fine, without any wounds.

Mentally shaking her head, Hinata forced herself to calm down. She shouldn't worry, not right now. Unless she got out of this situation, she wouldn't be able to do anything let alone see them. First she had to deal with this, then she could let herself worry.

"Hyu-" she paused, remembering that they introduced themselves first name first and then surname. Coughing lowly, she tried again: "Hinata Hyuga."

The man wrote something in the clipboard, which she assumed was her name.

"Age?"

"Twenty-four," she answered, her voice laced with a thick accent.

He raised an eyebrow, though didn't say anything. "Where are you from?"

She opened her mouth to answer but quickly found herself stopping. Closing her mouth shut tightly, she stared at the dirty dark floor beneath her. "Wall Rose, near Daup... Dauper village," Hinata said after a moment of thought, remembering the village Tom had mentioned a few times.

The blunette mentally sighed, wondering if she should have confessed that she was from Konohagakure. The man in front of her could know where her home was and not telling him could blow her chances of ever going back. But then, there was also a high possibility of him not knowing and thinking she was psycho or something. After all, Tom didn't know about her village - had never even heard of it, actually. She didn't want to chance this.

_I have to be careful of what I say. The faster I get out of here the faster I can see the kids. Better play it safe, _she told herself.

Nile's eyes narrowed and Hinata wondered if he knew what she was thinking (or had an idea). "Near Dauper village you say? You don't have an accept like the people there."

She gulped inaudibly. Her mind whirled as she searched for something, anything to say. "My mother and father don't speak this language, only our ancestry one. They said they wanted to preserve the culture," she said. That sounded good, right?

"What language do you speak?" he questioned.

"Japanese," she easily said. It was the truth, from what she knew.

"Japanese?" he repeated, sounding puzzled.

"A language lost in time. Before Titans attacked. I'm..." she frowned thoughtfully, "I'm Oriental."

"Orien..." A look of realization took over his features and his mouth hung open in what looked like surprise. Quickly he jotted something down in his clipboard before looking back up at her, his eyes even sharper than before. Intimidating, yet Hinata had seen even scarier eyes, Sasuke for example. Clearing his throat, he continued. "Next question, what were you doing within Wall Maria?"

"To see the Survey Corpse," she confessed.

"And after you saw them?"

"I eat."

"Eat what?"

"Soup. I went to a restaurant."

He hummed lowly, though Hinata was unsure whether in suspicion or thought, or both. She shifted in her spot on the cool stone floor, feeling her rear beginning to numb from lack of movement. Once in a more comfortable position, she rested her hands on her thighs, patiently waiting for the man to continue. She didn't have to wait for long.

"Did you do anything else after eating?"

"I went for a walk," she told him.

"All by yourself?"

Hinata's frown deepened, maybe this would be a good chance to see if the kids were fine. _Or it could get them in trouble. _She swallowed thickly. "Hmm," she nodded.

"And what about when the Titans broke in, what did you do then?" he interrogated.

"Fight them," she replied honestly.

"How?"

"By hitting them," she said this as if it was the most obvious answer in the world. But she understood what he meant by his question and decided to elaborate: "My family has secret techniques which is taught to the children. I was using one of those techniques."

"And the..." his eyes squinted at the paper, "glowing hands?"

"It's part of the technique."

He raised an eyebrow.

She sighed. "Only my family can use it. It's... a technique from before the Titan's attacked. My parents taught it to me and said I can only use when in emergency," she lied easily.

"Can you perform other techniques like the one you used on the Titans?"

She nodded. "I also know some techniques that I can't use. Only other family can use them, but they're dead."

"How did they die?"

"Someone killed them."

"Do you know who?"

A shake of the head.

He didn't say anything for a while, just continued writing and even when he was finished he stayed quiet. Hinata didn't mind though, using this time to think over her situation. She had to think up of a way to get out of here. First she'd need a believable story, one thought could answer any questions he had her and didn't bring him suspicion. After that she's gonna have to convince him and anyone else to let her free. Then she'd go find the kids.

_That's so much easier said than done, _she thought with a mental sigh.

Hinata didn't like to admit it, but she wasn't good with lies. That was more Sasuke. Having been raised by her mother to be honest and her father persuasive without the need to lie much, plus that she didn't even have to lie much unless on missions where it required her, she wasn't the best. However, she was pretty confident in her lying skills. At least against ordinary humans who couldn't use any jutsus to sneak into her mind or had that terrifying ability to see through any and all her lies with just one look (Sasuke).

But she was positive that this man in front of her couldn't do that. She just needed to stay calm and act as normal as needed, can't make any suspicious movements.

"That'll be all for today," his commanding voice cut her off from her thoughts.

Looking up, she watched as he pushed himself from the wall he had been leaning on and tucked the clipboard into his armpit. His one hand moved to pat out the dust that had accumulated on his clothes and he faced her. "I'll be back again for further questioning. Goodbye," and with that, he left.

She sighed for what felt like the hundredth time since she'd awoken (which wasn't that long ago). This was going to be nerve-wrecking, she was sure.

* * *

><p>"We checked the forests near Dauper village and the villages nearby, but we saw no sign of your parents or anyone that knew of you," Nile Dok, the commander, was back once more and ready for further questioning.<p>

Hinata stared blankly at the metal cuffs wrapped around her wrists. Her one hand gripped one of the cuffs and she pushed it up as far as the shackle would allow her. The warmth emitted from her hand blanketed her cool wrist and she rubbed the delicate skin gingerly. Then she pulled up the other cuff and did the same with the second wrist, allowing the temporary warmth to wrap around the flesh.

It had been three days since the Commander of the Military Police had last visited her and during that time she pondered on her questions and her situation. She still wasn't satisfied with what she got, and it left her with a nagging feeling at the back of her head.

Hinata looked up, done with her ministrations, and stared straight into his dark eyes. "My parents dead and we lived in a secluded part deep in the forest," she told him almost monotonously, her soft voice barely heard over the metal bars of her cage.

_Thinking about it, I can always cast a genjutsu on him. The problem is, is that if they find out I did something to them, they'll be after me again and that could potentially endanger the kids if she were to meet up with them, or if they found out about the three. And who knows what they'll do to me if they do manage to catch me. _She didn't want to take any risks and instead go through the safe road, but she wasn't sure whether that would be possible.

"They're dead?" he repeated, clearly suspicious.

She nodded. "A robber came and killed them."

"And how long ago was this?"

"I was fifteen," she told him.

"Did you live with anyone after that?"

"No," she shook her head. "All by myself."

He wrote some more in that clipboard of his. Hinata traced invisible shapes on the bumpy stone, trying to keep herself relaxed and even a little entertained. She had pretty much nothing to do in this cell and the only form of entertainment she got was from talking to the guards (which was rare, as they weren't fond of her) and playing with dust. It was sad, really.

"Do you have any other relatives?"

"No," she shook her head.

"Any friends?"

"No."

"Do you live by anyone?"

"No."

He gave what sounded like a frustrated sigh and pushed himself off the wall. Like before, he tucked the clipboard in his armpit and bid her goodbye, before walking away. She was a little - okay, a lot - surprised that he hadn't persisted in his interrogation. She had figured he'd be a little more... merciless when questioning her. It was just so expected.

But she was glad, at the same time. She didn't feel up to going against a military man.

* * *

><p>Once more the man was back, but this time his eyes betrayed the feelings he felt at the moment. Instead of the cold steel gaze he usually sent her, this time it was plagued with a barely noticeable worry and irritation which her unique eyes didn't have much trouble spotting. Obviously something upsetting was going on.<p>

"It is still unclear as to when your court day will be scheduled for. We have our hands full at the moment caring for all Wall Maria survivors and calming the civilians of the two other walls, and we have no time for you at the moment," he didn't hold back in his information, though wasn't too harsh in telling her. "In two days you'll be visited by a couple of Survey Corps members for further questioning, one of which will be Commander Erwin Smith himself. Until then, you will remain here in this cell. That is all I have to say."

Hinata quietly watched him bid her goodbye like the other times and leave without another word. There was a quiet slam of a door and then silence once more. The guards, as always, didn't say anything to her, and she was left to her own devices.

She leaned back against the wall and let out a breath, eyes shutting to the dimly lit room, blocking out what little sound there was in the room as she relaxed into a meditating position. With nothing to do, all she could do was sit and meditate. And look at her unborn baby.

Thinking about it, Hinata placed a hand on her stomach, a small smile gracing her features as she rubbed her clothed belly affectionately. Her chakra enveloped her womb in a protective layer which blocked it from the harsh world and brought a certain warmth to it. She looked up at the ceiling, wondering how the kids were doing. Being stuck in this dirty old cell with no way out worried her out. She just hoped that she'd be able to see them soon. The worry and nervousness bit hard at her and she didn't think she could take it for much longer.

_Please be alright, Tom, Nina, Mary._

* * *

><p><strong>Guest: <strong>I was thinking the same. I've got a plan for Hinata in this world and I just can't wait to get it written down. Hinata's skills will come in handy for her in the near future and I can't wait for her to kick some Titan butt! :D

**Hinata-hime2712: **I'm glad that you like Tom, even if he is annoying to you. Why I'm surprised a lot of people wanted him to live is because I was positive that nobody would like any of my OCs. I've actually been planning to kill off any OCs that I may put in the story at some point. However, if you guys want me to keep them alive, then I might just do it. I'm already having trouble killing off any of my three OCs. Well, we'll just have to see for now. As for you're questions, it'll be answered soon, I hope.

**Kuroyuki no Ryu: **Don't worry, Tom will be getting some character development. I've some use for him in the future and *dun* *dun* *dun* I might just keep him alive! But we'll have to wait and see. Can't guarantee anything yet.

**scoobycandy: **I'm glad you like it so far. Here's another chapter!

Thank you everyone else who reviewed, it really made me happy and got me to writing this. You guys are just awesome! :D


	12. Important AN! Please Read

**_Important Note!_**

_Currently I am working on eight to ten stories and I realize that for someone like me, who's currently in school and has some other stuff going on, that's a lot to work on. So I've put up a poll on my profile for which story(s) you'd like for me to mainly focus on. Please head there and vote or forever regret it when it's not the story you want. And if you can't vote on the poll, then a review would be just as welcomed. Thank you._


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